 Hey man, so we're finishing up Acts chapter one this evening, so we're going to finish up the last half of Acts, so last week we looked at the part where the apostles basically stood there and Jesus who had been with them for forty days was taken up into the clouds and he was taken off the earth, Jesus rose again from the dead of course, was with the apostles and had seen, you know they were seen, he was seen of them many different times and you know it's not completely recorded every single time that or all the time and the things that he said to them, but you know in the Gospels we see some of the appearances that Jesus made to the apostles and in Acts chapter one we're going to start in verse number twelve, so we're looking tonight at the first act that they did after Jesus was taken up and Jesus went into heaven, look at verse number twelve, the Bible says and they returned and then returned they, so the angels you know they say what are you doing standing here, you know now it's time to get the work, so the first thing that they do is in Acts chapter twelve they returned unto Jerusalem from the Mount called Olivet which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey and they would come in, they went into an upper room, they're abode both Peter and James and John, Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the Centipelopheus and Simon Zalotus and Judas the brother of James, this is a different Judas of course, but again I want you to point out here just very quickly in verse number thirteen notice the order, you know notice the order that the disciples are listed it kind of starts out you know with the leader Peter you know and then it goes into you know the ones that are closest to Jesus are listed first, Jesus is inner circle so to speak and then it just it lists in that order a few times in the Bible, look at verse number fourteen, the Bible says but of course to point out Peter is listed first, verse fourteen these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication which with the women and marry the mother of Jesus and with his brethren in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples so it wasn't just the eleven disciples and said the number of the names together about 120 so the 120 disciples at this point and then Peter starts to kind of give an explanation of what has happened with Judas he says men and brethren this scripture must needs have been fulfilled which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas which was guide to them that took Jesus so here he's talking about turn to John chapter thirteen Peter here is saying he's saying that that David prophesied this, David called this out that this would happen that Judas would betray Jesus for he was numbered with us in verse seventeen of Acts one and obtained part of this ministry the Bible says in verse eighteen now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity and falling headlong a burst of thunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out so turn to John chapter thirteen and let's look at verse number eighteen John chapter thirteen and let's look at verse number eighteen so here he's talking about Judas of course we studied that in the last couple of weeks he's saying one of us betrayed Jesus he was a guide to the people that arrested Jesus of course we know the story Judas was paid the reward of iniquity it's called in verse number eighteen but look at verse eighteen of John thirteen Jesus spoke of this as well he says I speak not of you all I know whom I have chosen but that the scripture may be fulfilled so here we see this Jesus even references that there was a prophecy about Judas who is going to you know betray Jesus he says that the scripture may be fulfilled he that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me so both Peter says that David prophesied this and then Jesus himself in John thirteen said that this is a prophecy that needs to be fulfilled now turn to Psalm chapter forty one Psalm chapter forty one let's look at this look at Psalm chapter forty one look at Psalm chapter forty one and notice Jesus said that he that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me in Psalm chapter forty one look at verse number nine this is the prophecy that they are talking about right here David wrote this in Psalm chapter forty one look at verse number nine he says yay my known familiar friend in whom I trusted which did eat of my bread hath lifted up his heel against me now this is an interesting concept here in Psalm chapter forty one in verse number nine because David is there is that he's the author of course this is you know Holy Spirit inspired this is the word of God but David is the author this is what we would call a dual prophecy in the Old Testament because David David is talking here about you know one of the you know the prophecies that applies to David himself if you look at David just writing this from his own perspective is when a hithafel you know turned against him when his son Absalom came you know came to take over the kingdom or you know performed a coup against David you know a hithafel was this counselor this you know the Bible says in 2 Samuel it says that a hithafel's counsel was like the counsel of God it was so good okay so a hithafel was this super good counselor and he turned against David and that was just it shows you in Psalm chapter 41 verse number nine says you know my own familiar friend whom I trusted he's talking about this guy he's like you know and if you read the story in 2 Samuel 15 I believe it is about Absalom taking over David's just shocked that a hithafel went with Absalom he's just like whoa what's going on there but look at 2 Samuel chapter 17 in verse number 23 the all that to say this I'm just pointing out that this is a dual prophecy and you will find these all over the Bible these dual prophecies where you know there's a prophecy that applies to that time and then it also applies to either end times prophecy or like in this case it's a messianic prophecy about Judas betraying betraying Jesus Christ look at verse number 23 so what happens is a hithafel he goes with Absalom David you know that a hithafel's counsel would just be turned to foolishness because the Bible says that a hithafel like everybody listened to this guy so David's like hey just please God turn his David was afraid of the counsel of a hithafel with Absalom because look the guy was wise he was smart and a hithafel's counsel actually was the smarter counsel when it came to you know what Absalom wanted to do but then David sent in a counselor to kind of confound that and God worked that out to where David won the big battle but what happens to hithafel so hithafel's counsel was not taken and his pride was so wounded look at verse number 23 of 2 Samuel chapter 17 so Absalom decides I'm going with this other counselor who's a spy of David as God worked it out this way in a verse number 23 of 2 Samuel 17 and when a hithafel saw that his counsel was not followed he saddled his ass in a rose and got him home to his house to his city put his household in order and hanged himself does that sound familiar so here we see you know the true dual prophecy of a hithafel betraying David you know as a dual prophecy of you know Judas betraying Jesus and that is what Peter is talking about so Peter is just calling this out so Peter's standing up and he's saying look there's one that's not among us anymore he's like now we're 11 we're not 12 but he's saying this is but it had to happen he said it had to happen because this was fulfilling scripture he's you know Peter is giving you know he's giving an Old Testament sermon he's giving a lesson on what you know a messianic prophecy that happened with Jesus now isn't this a little different Peter by the way I mean to remember Peter who's just like completely confused and just like you know he betrayed Jesus three times with the night that he got arrested and then Peter was the one even after that several disciples saw Jesus including Peter by the way resurrected Peter's just like he doesn't know what to do he's just like I'm going fishing and he takes a bunch of disciples fishing with him now as soon as we get to acts I want you to you know because now this is the Peter that you're going to see from here on forward now that we're in acts Peter's got his head on straight Peter knows what's going on Peter's moving forward and he gets it he gets it I think this is my personal opinion this is my personal opinion it's not listed in the Bible but I think that Peter had some moments with Jesus kind of like Paul had moments with Jesus and I think Jesus probably got Peter ready for this type of you know mission that he's on because we see a definite different Peter here when you read the Bible in acts and then you read the Gospels Peter's on a mission now he gets it he understands the prophecies he understands everything you know before you listen to the disciples in the Gospels you're like how come they don't understand what Jesus is talking about like why aren't they getting this you know why aren't they understanding now Peter understands go back to Acts chapter one all that to say this Peter is on you know he's on track to lead now and he understands what's going on and he is leading this group of 120 disciples and he's saying look this was supposed to happen but the point he's getting at in Acts chapter one is we're down a man we're down a man look at Acts chapter one verse nineteen it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem in so much that as the field is calling their proper tongue ok okadama that is to say the field of blood for it is written in the book of Psalms let his habitation be desolate let no man dwell there in and let his bishopric let another take he's talking about Psalm chapter 69 you go ahead and turn to Psalm 109 Psalm 69 25 says let their habitation be desolate and let none dwell in their tents and Psalm 109 verse number eight says let his days be few and let another take his office all these have you know dual prophecies to what David's going through at the time to what Jesus or what Peter is talking about concerning Judas and Jesus but look here's the thing when you read Psalm 41 9 and you say you know you read Psalm 41 9 and you pretend like you were in David's time and you say okay my own friend has betrayed me that ate bread with me just like he's talking about a hithafel and then the situation with Judas and Jesus happens and then we can get it all that to say that like a lot of these dual prophecies they won't be understood until they happen you know so a lot of prophecies you know will not be understood until they're they're fulfilled so we kind of have to remember that so remember that when we're talking about end times things we're trying to figure things out look there's a lot of things that we just may not know until they happen you know until they happen then we can live back and say oh yeah that's that's what Psalm 49 was talking about or that's what you know Revelation chapter 6 was talking about it happened so keep that in mind we don't have to figure out every single thing that we're looking through a glass darkly at you know we might not understand everything until it's fulfilled okay all all that to say that but what's the point you say what's the point of prophecy if you know we don't understand it until it's fulfilled well it shows the truth of the Word of God that's for sure and when we look at the Judas and Jesus situation and we look back at Psalm 41 9 we're like oh man you know it shows that Bible is the Word of God it shows that no man could have written this book because no man could control these outcomes it shows the truth of the Word of God and it shows that the plan is way above us both with end times and you know with God sending Jesus and how he redeemed the world go back to Acts chapter 1 go back to Acts chapter 1 so back to this he's talking about how we're down a man how Judas betrayed Jesus and look we look at verse number 21 he says wherefore of these men which have accompanied us at all the time that Lord Jesus went in and out among us beginning from the baptism of John he's like this guy was with us the whole time under that same day he was taken up from us must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection and they appointed to Joseph called Bar Sabbaths who is surname justice surname just means you know his nickname and Matthias and they prayed and said that Lord God which know us the hearts of all men show whether of these two thou has chosen they may take part of this ministry and apostleship so these men must have been with them and and along with them and witness these things as well that he may take part of this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell that he might go to his own place and they gave forth their lots in the lot fell upon Matthias and he was numbered with the 11 apostles so now we're back to 12 so what about this casting lots this kind of something that that's come up and people asked about what about this casting lots so first of all casting lots we don't really know what it was you know something along the lines of you know whether they they rolled some rock or dice or something like that or they they drew straws you know they probably didn't play paper rock scissors because that's not totally random by the way there's that there's a skill to paper rock scissors and I'll talk to you about that after the sermon I actually got my first job by winning at paper rock scissors it was not luck there's skill to it I'll explain it you know later but anyway the point is casting lots was this random thing and it was something that was done all the time it was actually something that the Lord told them to do at times turned to Leviticus chapter 16 in the Old Testament there's nothing in the old in the New Testament that tells us that we should be casting lots okay and another thing is it wasn't gambling okay it wasn't gambling because they're not casting lots for you know money they're not doing this to to gamble or bet or anything that they're doing it to help make a decision on something that's what this is used for look at Leviticus chapter 16 and verse number 8 remember the two goats that we've talked about you know in the last couple of months and Aaron show what cast lots upon the two goats look this is this is talking about God telling him how to do this Aaron is supposed to cast lots upon the two goats one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat look at Proverbs chapter 16 so it's a way to choose something it's a way to make a decision on something look at Proverbs 16 and verse 33 Proverbs 16 and verse 33 the Bible says the lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord so I mean casting lots is mentioned dozens and dozens of times in the Old Testament look at Proverbs 18 Proverbs 18 just a couple pages over in your Bible the Bible says the lot cause it causes contentions to seize and part of between the mighty so this is really kind of the answer of what casting lots was used for right here casting lots was so if me and brother George you know need to make a decision on something and we want to let the Lord decide we will just cast lots that way it takes the decision out of his hands it takes the decision out of my hands and you know we it just the Lord decided you know it was nobody's single decision it takes that it takes the contentions out of the situation and it put it in the Lord's hand and you know even in Joshua they cast lots for the the different portions of land it was a very common thing in the Old Testament now there were not you know we're not called to do this we have the Word of God to help us make decisions today we have the whole Bible we're not going to be casting lots in this church but the point is is that it was it was commonly done the Lord commanded it at times in the Old Testament and it was not done in a way where people were gambling for money it was just to help make a decision you know people think like dice like oh they're playing dice no it's just it was to help make a decision and it was to leave that decision up to the Lord and that's what they did mentioning you know casting lots for these two men another thing I want to address before I get to the the main point of the sermon tonight is this idea of the 12th disciple a lot of people think and you know I've thought about it myself that that Paul was supposed to be the 12th disciple and that you know Peter shouldn't have done this Peter shouldn't have gone and chosen between justice and Matthias and cast lots and filled this vacancy and you know what's my opinion on that well I mean first of all the Bible just doesn't tell us the Bible doesn't tell us whether or not Peter should have done this or not the Bible tells us what Peter did you know we're just hearing a record of what happened here and he cast lots Matthias was chosen and here's the thing like if you think that Paul was supposed to be the 12th disciple I mean that's okay that's an opinion to have there's nothing wrong with that because it really doesn't matter I mean if God was like I want Paul to be the 12th disciple and Peter shouldn't have done that God obviously made Paul an apostle anyway so God you know God obviously created he met Paul on the road and he got Paul moving in the direction he wanted to regardless of what Peter did here but there's no indication to me that Peter did anything wrong he was just trying to you know follow the Bible fill the vacancy just as the Bible said should have been done so I don't believe that anything was done wrong there and casting lots was just something to use to help make that decision to help give that decision over to the Lord and that shows that Peter he didn't want to just be this guy making all these calls he wanted to just leave it up to the Lord to pick between these two men now so that's what they do they're getting ready they're getting ready they fill Judas's vacancy we see Peter has become the leader that he needs to be he's understanding the prophecies of Jesus he's looking he's looking forward and we're going to see as we go into Acts 2 and on you know just the man Peter has become and I believe that Jesus you know created Peter he well I mean not created but he he built Peter into that leader and that's you know that's encouragement for all of us it's encouragement for all of us when we look at you know some mistakes that Peter made in his life and just it maybe he spun his wheels a little bit took him a little while to get going but boy when he got going he got going and this is where we see it start in Acts chapter 1 turn back to verse 18 if you would turn back to verse number 18 acts chapter 1 verse number 18 Peter says something interesting in Acts chapter 1 and verse number 18 that I want to kind of focus on this evening so here we see the context Jesus has taken up the disciples are ready to go there's 120 of them we're about to get into you know a big event in acts chapter 2 but I want to point something out for the application this evening look at acts chapter 18 acts chapter 1 and verse number 18 let me get there myself acts chapter 1 and verse number 18 talking about Judas Judas committed a terrible sin we know he betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ look at number 18 it says now this man purchased the field with the reward of iniquity now of course you know we know that you know it wasn't really it was his money that you know purchased the field it wasn't Judas that purchased the field but the point is is that there's an interesting three words there it says the reward of iniquity now we talk a lot about iniquity in this church we talk a lot about sin we talk a lot about hey if you get into these types of sin here's what's going to happen to you here's the consequences God's going to punish you you're never going to get away with anything but it's interesting because Peter uses this word right here and he says that this field was purchased with the reward of iniquity what's what was that in this case it was those 30 pieces of silver Judas brought the money and he took it back to the Pharisees I want this but they just went they bought the field with it the point is Judas got money for what he did now it didn't work out for Judas he ended up killing himself but that's not the point but the point is turned to Luke chapter 15 Judas got paid Judas got paid we talk a lot about the punishment for sin because the Bible talks a lot about the punishment for sin in the box you know in in every part of the Bible but look at Luke chapter 15 but the Bible also says here in Acts chapter 1 of verse 18 that there's a reward for iniquity too look at Luke 15 let's look at a story in the Bible he said a certain man had two sons Acts chapter 15 verse number 11 a certain man had two sons and the younger of them said to his father give me this portion of goods that fall to me and he divided unto them his living and not many days after the young son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country and there he wasted his substance with riotous living so here we see a man that had two sons and this younger son comes up to his dad he says I want my inheritance now I don't know if he's 20 25 whatever age he is he's a young man he's like I want all the money now and his dad just gives them all the money and then he goes and he just lives this riotous lifestyle and at this end of verse 13 it says that he's living this riotous life I mean he's out there and he's look I'm sure that if you caught this kid at this time that it would be tough you know he would have been having a good time he'd been having a good time you know because he's in that he's in that stage where he's getting rewarded for iniquity you know he's he's engaging in pleasures whatever those pleasures were he's probably you know getting into alcohol and you know fornication I mean just these are just some things you know think about people that get into drugs and alcohol look they don't do it because they want punishment they do it because there is a reward there that they're after there's a reward look those things make you feel good for a short time that's the reward for iniquity this is why people do it but the thing is it's temporary it's short time look at verse you know the very next verse the guy is like living with the pigs you know so it was very short time but I bet if you would have went up to him in verse 13 and said hey man this isn't good you know you're gonna be punished for this this is gonna be bad he probably wouldn't listen to you at all because he was getting rewarded for his iniquity he was in that short temporary time so the point I'm trying to make and the point that Peter was making in verse 18 is that there's a reward to sin there's a reward to sin but most of the time it's temporary it's very short lived and here's another thing about the reward to sin most of the time it's only for you most of the time the reward for sin is only for you the people around you usually begin to suffer right away they don't get a reward when somebody is on drugs or they're on alcohol or whatever it may it may make them feel good right at that time but immediately their family their children begin to suffer immediately they don't get that that short high or that short whatever it is you know but people go out and they they do that and they they get they get drunk or they get high and they just feel super smart or whatever they feel super powerful I mean there was some guy walking down the street that woke us all up the other night and he was out there and he was just like punching air and like screaming as loud as he could like that guy thought he was really powerful I mean he must have thought he was like Superman or something how he was acting but to everybody else including the people I'm telling this story he just looked and sounded like an idiot like a fool but to him he was being rewarded for that iniquity at that moment at that time to everybody else you know whatever family he had you know maybe had a wife or kids or whatever in the past I mean it's just nothing but damage damage damage damage but he's been rewarded for iniquity he's been rewarded for that you know I mean you look at some of these people that get into this you know drunkenness and and drugs and you know I mean basically here's the thing folks like if you're a loser there's two paths for you you can like fix yourself and not be a loser anymore or you can go get drunk and get high and make yourself feel like you're not but you still are in its temporary but that's that's what they're chasing they're chasing the reward of iniquity that's why they do it what about us what about Christians you're like you know we don't struggle with these types of things hopefully no one here struggles with these types of things but what about us I mean it's the same thing with us it's the same thing with things in our lives the reason that we get into iniquity is because there's a reward there we're rewarded for it that's why people fall into it people don't just decide as a Christian like hey I'm gonna do this because I like to be beaten by God because I like punishment by God you know they get into it because they're rewarded for it they're after that reward how about this one how about this one how about complaining ever complained you know complaining does it makes you feel better rate right away when you complain about something or somebody it just at least temporarily it makes you feel better it makes you feel better but look here's the thing what's the long-term effects of that the long-term effects of becoming a complainer is that you know you become an unthankful person that's a terrible consequence but it makes you feel good right away you get rewarded right away you know even small things think about this think about soul winning we got soul winning and we go out and you knock a hundred you knock a hundred home map and nobody wants to talk to you and you know you could look you could look at that you'd be like man a hundred homes and zero salvation's what what you could be like that and you know it may make you feel better to sit there with your soul winning partner and just complain about it a little bit complain about how unreceptive people are or you know what but you know what you could get to be a negative person an unthankful person if you just continue that in your life and you continue trying to get that immediate reward for complaining or you could be this type of person you go out soul winning and you knock a hundred homes and you're like thank God I can walk thank God my legs work thank God I could go out soul winning today and thank God that you know I thank God that I have so many people around me that's what I thought about just last night no not to eat I took a trip with with Ashley to get the chairs and we went out to eat together and we were sitting there in this restaurant and we saw a lady come into the restaurant just sit all by herself as you came into this and I was thinking to myself who comes to a restaurant and goes and eats by herself well you know maybe she didn't have anybody to go eat with you know maybe she didn't have anybody to go out and eat with her you know what I just got to thinking like sometimes I think to myself because I'm just I'm constantly surrounded by people I mean there's people around me all the time you know what sometimes I get to the point where like man I wish I could just have 10 minutes by myself but maybe I should think you know what thank God for all these people that around me all the time thank God that I will never you know hopefully you know be by myself thank God that I'm surrounded by my wife and my family and my children and my church family you know thank God for this I mean look complaining is easy to do because it satisfies us we get a reward for it right away well it's something we should stay far away from turn to numbers chapter 11 complaining will seriously affect your children too if you complain a lot and your children here you complain it will negatively affect them just like just like the the drunk who's getting a who's getting a high right away immediately the family starts to suffer it's the same way with complaining you complain about things you complain about people and your kids will become negative complaining people that's a terrible thing to even think about I mean look at numbers chapter 11 this shows you right here just how complaining and people that complain how they affect people around them look at numbers chapter 11 and verse number 14 this is Moses and he's saying like the people are complaining that you know they either don't have food and then they have too much food and then they don't they want meat and then they're gonna have too much meat and he's just like every single thing these people are complaining about look at Moses what he says to God in verse 14 he says I'm not able to bear all these people alone because it is too heavy for me just because they're complaining here they're all they're doing is complaining they're not trying to attack him or kill him or anything it says if thou dealeth us with me look what he says to God he says kill me I pray the out of hand I have found favor in thy sight and let me not see my wretchedness he has people complaining all around him and he's like God just kill me that should show you right there like being around people that complain all the time it just like if you're not a complainer and you're trying to be a positive person it just like it just really affects you look at Moses right here he's like God just take me home because people all they do is complain so people around complainers suffer greatly it's just like the drug user he gets the high everybody else suffers and then look I mean you may get a high right away from complaining but you become an unthankful person that's a nightmare state to find yourself in to be somebody just isn't thankful for anything in your life look folks just keep this in your mind because this might be the one thing that is wrecking people in this country you deserve nothing you deserve nothing just remember that in your life and you know what it's pretty easy to be positive at that point when you realize that you walk through life maybe things that work don't go well maybe things you know aren't going well over here but it's like you know what I deserve nothing I deserve no material things I actually spiritually I deserve to go to hell spiritually I deserve to go to hell yet what okay I got this life maybe think they're going well maybe they're not but I'm going to heaven either way and I don't deserve it as people that think they deserve things that that's something is owed to them they become unthankful people and those are miserable people and you don't want to be that type of person here's another one turn to Proverbs chapter 19 I'll just go through a few I could go all day on this one but go to Proverbs chapter 19 here's another one that's it's it's it's iniquity that gives you a reward right away all iniquity will give you a reward right away but you know I'm you know we don't struggle with drugs and alcohol here but here's some things that like a lot of people struggle with here's what look at Proverbs 19 look at verse 15 Proverbs 19 and verse number 15 the Bible says this it says slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep and an idle soul shall suffer hunger you know what slothfulness will reward you right away slothfulness will give you an immediate reward you know why because it feels good to sleep it feels good to sleep I mean it feels good to just just like sleep in I can't remember what that's like but I'm sure it feels good you know it feels good to sleep but the problem is if you sleep all the time turn to Ecclesiastes chapter 10 if you sleep all the time trouble will follow that reward is there though that reward is there you know that reward is to let yourself slip a little bit at work you know just get a little bit lazier just get a little bit like hey everybody else is doing it look folks a lot of slothful people out there it'd be a really easy thing to follow look at Ecclesiastes chapter 10 of verse 18 so if you chase that reward if you chase that reward for slothfulness the Bible says by much slothfulness the building decayeth and through idleness of hands the house drop it through slothfulness is much more than first Timothy 5 8 slothfulness is much more than just providing for your family slothfulness in general whether you're married whether you're not look it will ruin you personally you can chase that reward and say you know what I just want a little bit more sleep I just don't like to to to work that hard but look you know men you need to be working men you need to be working look working is the opposite of slothfulness and working actually has the opposite of the reward of slothfulness because working working hard will hurt it first working hard is is completely opposite as getting rewarded with that sleep right away at slothfulness because working hard will you know what it may be downright unpleasant at first I mean but then but then as you push through that unpleasantry you know hard work is the opposite diligence is the opposite as your diligent as you work hard over time you will begin to like it that's what will happen so chasing that reward from slothfulness it will end look it will ruin a man it will ruin a man I've met many a ruined man because they're lazy and that one thing has ruined them and guess what those lazy people those slothful people you know what they become they become unthankful to you read Romans 1 unthankful we're talking about reprobates the wickedest people on the planet unthankful is one of the words used to describe those people I'm not saying lazy people are reprobates okay but what I'm saying is that being unthankful is a horrible horrible thing to fall into but guess what it's same thing with a lazy woman you look at Proverbs 31 you look at the Proverbs 31 woman that woman's working that woman's working hard she's strong look being a lazy woman will ruin a family being a lazy woman will ruin your children because you'll raise lazy uneducated children but it's chasing that reward it's chasing that reward of iniquity that drags us in turn to Proverbs chapter 20 how about this one Proverbs chapter 20 look at Proverbs chapter 20 Proverbs chapter 20 look at verse number 23 Proverbs chapter 20 in verse number 23 the Bible says diverse weights are an abomination under the Lord and a false balance is not good how about this one just unethical behavior how about this one just just being unethical maybe maybe you're at work this is so and you know what people do this all the time too maybe you're at work and you just take credit for some something that you didn't do something small maybe somebody gives you credit for something you didn't do and you just don't say anything you know what there'll be a reward for that if somebody comes up to you and says hey you know brother that was a great job you know you did on that project last week and you're like you didn't do it it was some other guy that you work with you're just like oh thank you you know what there's a reward for that because you will get the credit for that and maybe you don't even have to say anything but it's unethical but you're rewarded for it you know maybe maybe you don't defend somebody who's being trashed at work or being tracked in some social circle or whatever maybe you just don't defend them maybe it's something as simple as that and you just let somebody maybe you have a you know conflict with that person like you know what they're lower I'm better how about that there's a reward for that you know that you know people get themselves ahead this way you know people that are you know get super high up and in companies you know what they operate there there's a lot of people that are pretty good at unethical behavior you know what there's a reward for it there might be promotions for it there might be recognition for it there might be bonuses there might be money for it you know there's a reward there how about this how about just gossip just gossip you know there's a reward there maybe you're maybe you're whipping somebody down that you don't like you want below you but these things can have rewards for you personally in the short term but you know for the unsaved you will see people get ahead in life operating this way you will see people get ahead at their jobs get ahead in in circles this way it can actually lead to great wealth for the unsaved you know you think about it like just the elaborate financial schemes that you've heard over the last maybe decade or 15 years just people that just ripped people off or like millions hundreds of millions of dollars or whatever it was but they were just lying they were just stealing they were just they were just operating unethically they got rewarded for it they got hundreds of millions of dollars for it there was a reward to that iniquity it works you know if you're a thief you can go out and be a thief and you know if you don't get caught look you're gonna get caught but if you go out and you be a thief there's plenty of thieves that go out there and are pretty good at stealing and they don't get caught and they're rewarded especially in California when you know you're encouraged to steal things here but there's iniquity has rewards but here's the point here's the point folks there's a reward to it that's why people do it you sit here and you think of like you look at these people that you you've heard of maybe famous people or people you know and you're like why did they go into the alcohol why did they you know why was that why did they commit adultery why did they do these horrible things because they were chasing the reward of iniquity that's why and they weren't thinking about what was coming they were they were just chasing the reward and by the way it's much easier to so oh but it's it's temptation to this reward I you know this this I'm tempted to drink alcohol or I'm tempted to just be dishonest or I'm tempted to complain about things because I like that feeling guess what and especially for the kids in a Bible preaching church you know what if you never go down these roads you will never want that reward if you never go down the road of alcohol if you never go down the road of becoming a negative person in a complainer in a gossip you'll never want the rewards because you just you've never done it if if you if kids if you're raised and you just were raised to work hard you'll never be tempted to just sleep all the time because you'll be like you'll look at people to do that you just like I don't understand I don't get it but it's harder for people that have been down those roads because they they've gotten that reward and they desire it and they can desire it but if you'd never go down those roads this is why we preach so hard against sin in this church because we're not trying to beat up people that have sinned in the past we're trying to get people to not go down those roads in the first place so they don't even they don't even want the reward they don't desire the reward they don't even think about the reward they just know what's coming as punishment if they do those things they just know that the Bible is true because guess what what's coming is always worse the punishment for you from your heavenly father adopted sons and daughters is always worse and it could be it could be irreparable in your life on this earth so look I mean sin has two sides folks we talk about the consequences of sin all the time we talk about the consequences of sin all the time but the problem is turn to Proverbs 25 the problem is is that we are still lured in by this reward people are still lured in by this reward of iniquity it still gets Christians it still gets them this need and you know what it is it's it's this need it's this need for immediate gratification gratification it's this need for you know what I want that and I have to have it right now regardless of what the punishment is look at Proverbs 25 Proverbs 25 sin has two sides it's a it's a double-sided coin folks Proverbs 25 look at verse 28 the Bible says he that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls think about that for a second what this is saying is if you just have no rule over your own spirit meaning meaning you can't this is what this thing you can't control yourself this is somebody who just have control of themselves they just like they see something they want it and they're just like I have to have it maybe you shouldn't spoil your kids by the way because you know what that's what you're teaching them to do you're teaching your kids when you never say no to your kids and you just give your kids every single thing that they ever want sorry kids what you're teaching them is against Proverbs 25 28 you are teaching them that whatever they see and they want they get and that's a horrible thing because you know what you will raise a city with broken down walls and guess what what happens to a city with broken down walls well nothing unless some enemy comes along but guess what the devil's gonna send enemies your way you will have enemies passing by constantly you know what Satan for even you grown men and women in the room tonight Satan will send the enemies where he knows your wall is the weakest and he will send them by you are broken down walls turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 10 Satan will make sure as you're a city with no walls as you raise your kids with no walls because you've given them every single thing they've ever wanted he will make sure that he sends plenty of enemies by those piles of rubble he'll make sure something comes along and he'll make sure it's something that seems good to you he'll make sure that it's something where you're like you know what there's reward there there's reward there and if you're a city with broken down walls you're just like reward and you just go after it and you don't think about consequences you don't think about the people around you you just go after that reward but guess what first Corinthians chapter 10 it gives us the Bible gives us hope here if you are saved guess what if you're saved you will never get away with anything and punishment is always coming to you the reward of iniquity is so stupid for a saved person because the punishment is going to be so much worse and it's and it's a price that you would never want to pay if you knew it was coming right up front and you were focused on anything other than just the reward of iniquity for just yourself but guess what God gives us a promise yes he promises that he will chastise us that he will punish us and we will not get away with things but he also promises us this in first Corinthians chapter 10 look at verse 13 he says there is no temptation taken to you but such as common to man is like whatever you're going through right now other people have gone through it you're like big deal I'm still going through it he says but God is faithful that's the key right there what I'm saying here is true because God is faithful underline those words who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you're able it says here God says I promise I am faithful in what I'm about to say he says I you will not be tempted with anything that you can't handle you will not be but you're like but you know what I'm tempted and I fail all the time you know I'm tempted and I chase that reward of iniquity all the time you know what that's because you're weak that's because you're choosing to fail that's because your Proverbs 25 28 and you don't have rule of your own spirit but the Bible is saying that if you are saved that any temptation any reward of iniquity that is put in front of your face you will be able to withstand it God's telling you you can withstand it you know what it's possible so here's the thing that's why you know you need to be strong if you're a parent if you're an adult you want to be a you know you want to be a mature Christian but you need to be a strong person you need to be somebody that has rule over your spirit otherwise what chance I mean look this this ministry needs strong men and women that just don't go around chasing stupid rewards of iniquity and not thinking about consequences because look if you fail the Bible was saying here you chose to fail you chose to fail for that reward for that reward of iniquity and look you know in the Bible is telling you here that if you take that reward of iniquity in your life save believer it's a bad trade it's a bad trade for you personally and it's especially a bad trade for those people around you for your family and for your children so yeah there's a reward to iniquity there that you can look around you and you can see people living these lives around us you say you know these people that are living these lives that aren't separated like us seems like they're having a good time they're getting rewarded for that iniquity they're chasing the reward for iniquity number one it doesn't work the same for us the price will be paid for us on this earth and I wouldn't want to be an unsaved person just chasing rewards of iniquity in my life let's borrow heads and have a word