Adrian Rogers: Integrity - Don't Leave Home Without It [#1862]

[Music] welcome to love worth fun with pastor teacher and author Adrian Rogers reaching out with God's love bringing people to Christ touching lives around the world and helping you find the answers you need today join us as we prepare to open God's Word and discover how your life can be changed forever by his great love worth finding be finding the book of Exodus chapter 20 our verse for today is verse 15 and you don't have to have a Doctorate to understand it it can't be much plainer thou shalt not steal their ever verse that is needed this one is we're talking about a perfect in four homes that win and this is one of God's great laws for living rules for righteousness and encouragement to have the kind of homes that will win you know America has just forgotten the basic rules of honesty I read about a market in California it was a little boy standing there in front of the fruit stand there were grapes there he was putting those grapes cramming those grapes in his mouth as fast as he could there wasn't an adult anywhere a clerk was standing by absolutely hopeless helpless not knowing what to do and this little fellas just cramming the grapes in his mouth after a while his mother appeared and she saw what was happening she said Johnny not so fast this is the kind of a situation that we we live in where we seem to have forgotten the basic rules of honesty well I want to be very pertinent in this message and tell you this message tells us that any time we take anything that belongs to someone else or that we keep from someone the thing that we owe to them we have transgressed this commandment now it might be time it might be money it might be affection it might be possessions it may be courtesy or appreciation or love or anything else if we defraud somebody else we have taken that which does not belong to us and we are guilty of stealing and many synonyms to extort to burglarize to defraud to Filch to cheat to misappropriate to rob to swindle to swipe to to embezzle now how do we teach our children what this commandment means you remember that God gave this commandment to the children of Israel and then he said that fathers are to teach these things to their sons and to the grandsons well there's a verse in the New Testament that I'd like for you to put in your margin and it is Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 28 and in my estimation this one verse is the perfect explanation and amplification of the Old Testament verse that says thou shalt not steal again Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 28 listen to it let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labor working with his hands the thing which is good that he may have to give to him that needeth now did you listen to it let me read it again this is a dynamite verse let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labor working with his hands the thing that is good that he may have to give to him that needeth in that verse there are three things that every parent ought to try to emblazon into the heart of his or her child to X their into his or her consciousness three grand principles the first one is integrity let him that stole steal no more the second principle is industry but rather let him labor working with his hands the things that is good and the third is generosity that he may have to give to him that needeth now all of these according to the New Testament are wrapped up in this this commandment that says thou shalt not steal integrity industry and generosity those are three characteristics that all of us ought to say dear God help me to teach these things to our children and help me and help us that we might practice these things before our children now let's talk a little bit about the demands of integrity the first of those three items you know there are many ways that you can live without integrity of course there's direct stealing you know what the kids call shoplifting a Fivefinger discount where they just go in and fill that it is amazing how much is stolen by sheer shoplifting well it may be you're not just shoplifting armed robbery burglary our city is plagued with this stealing at the workplace is epidemic did you know according to the research that I did that the American economy loses forty billion dollars a year from stealing on the work place that's simply embezzlement our pilfering from the work place and so that's that's one kind of stealing just direct stealing whether it be shoplifting or whether it be burglary or bank robbery or pilfering on the job or embezzlement all of these things will receive the shirred judgment of Almighty God but there's another form of stealing and that's fraud what we call white-collar crime you know for years the Beechnut people sold baby foods and mothers said well when you think of Beechnut you know we just we give our little chili I know we've raised ours these little jars of baby food and we thought well that's that's purity and that's health and all of that then one day the authorities discovered that they had been selling apple juice and they sold it for ten years and on the label it said 100% fruit juice no sugar added and when they analyzed it they found out it was a little more than chemicals and dye and water sort of a chemical cocktail and so they were they were told you can't you can't sell this on the mark you can't advertise this and let mothers think they're giving their babies apple juice when you're giving them this chemical concoction so what did they do with it I'll tell you what they did with it they loaded up nine practive trailers with the stuff and within days it was being sold in Puerto Rico the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands Bible says thou shalt not steal I read about a motel you walk into that motel it says the rooms are $80 cash rebate twenty dollars I think about that it doesn't say the rooms are $60 it says the rooms are $80 cash rebate twenty dollars so if you're a Salesman you go in there and they give you a receipt for an 80 dollar room you turn that into your employer said I rented a room for $80 you put $20 in your pocket now this this is going on all over the land it is a form of stealing half-hearted work is stealing you work for an employer and don't give him an honest day's labor you've stolen from him Colossians three verse twenty two servants obey in all things your masters according to the flesh not with eyeservice as men pleasers but as singleness but in singleness of heart fearing God now if you don't fear God enough to give an honest day's work you have broken the commandment that says thou shalt not steal I heard about a man who applied for a job and he asked the prospective employer said what will you pay me he said well I'll pay you what you're worth he said oh no no no it's nothing doing he said I just quit a job making more than that and a lot of people who are being paid more than they're worth and and if you're an employer and you don't pay a man what he's worth you have stolen from that man listen to these scriptures those of you who have businesses Colossians 4 verse 1 masters give unto your servants that which is just and equal knowing that she also have a master in heaven that also speaks to the domestic work in your house that maid are those people who work in your yard do you pay them what is just an equal I mean if you were in their place would you expect to be paid more than you pay those people James chapter 5 and verse 4 says behold the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields which is of you kept back by fraud crying and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of savoia that means that God sees when you don't pay what you ought to pay and God sees when you don't earn what you get paid for some who are sitting in this building today have no idea that you've broken the commandment that says thou shalt not steal you just think of yourself as a shrewd businessman now tax avoidance is one thing tax evasion is something else having insurance is one thing Monsieur it's insurance manipulation is something else high finance and sharp dealing jesus warned about the pharisees which devoured widows houses they saw an opportunity to take advantage of unsuspecting widows whose husbands had died and the woman did not know how to protect herself do you know one of the greatest forms of thievery that's going on right here in this area it's the entire gambling industry did you know that that's all that's that's steveley let me tell you something friend gambling is morally wrong now why is it morally wrong what's wrong with gambling well nobody can win at gambling without somebody else losing again you don't have to have a PhD to understand that true legitimate business is win win I make a widget I sell it for a dollar I get the dollar you get the widget I win and you win in gambling for every winner there must be a loser gambling is profit and pleasure at somebody else's pain and loss gambling is an attempt to get what belongs to someone else into your possession without giving him anything for it now if two people meet in a back alley and one puts a gun on the other person and takes what belongs to him they call it thievery but if two people meet in a casino and one takes what belongs to the other they call it gambling old they don't call it gambling they call it gaming and and they call it gaming what you say but pastor that there's a difference in the back alley one may be willing but one is not willing the fact that both are willing doesn't make it any better a duel is murder by mutual consent when people decide they're going to shoot each other that doesn't make it legal just because one is willing to take the other's life and the other is willing to take the other's life that doesn't make it right you see when somebody Gamble's and wins he has the spirit of thievery when he Gamble's and loses he's been very foolish and so the Bible says in the back of to verse 6 woe unto him that increases that which is not his withholding love and devotion breaks this commandment did you know the Bible commands husbands and wives not to defraud the other in the matter of sexual love that if you withhold from your husband from your wife physical sexual love and endearment that you defraud them why if you withhold from your neighbor love you'd be fraud your neighbor the Bible says in Romans chapter 13 verse 8 Oh no man anything but to love one another we owe that love some have defrauded their parents of honor some parents have defrauded their children of guidance and love and instruction God's Word says thou shalt not steal do you know the worst thievery is to steal from God and so many are stealing from God you say how am i stealing from God well I want to ask you a question have you given him your life you belong to him you know I mean you're not your own you are bought with a price and that what the Bible says you're his by creation he made you you his by Redemption he died for you you're not your own you're bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are gods and when you live your life for self and self alone as if Jesus Christ never lived and Jesus Christ never died you my friend are a thief a thief you have taken from God that which belongs to God you walk God's green earth you breathe God's air you live with the life that God has given you and you don't pour your life back out to God 1st corinthians 6 verses 19 to 20 what know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which you have of God and ye are not your own for you're bought with a price do you know why we tithe the tithe is an emblem and a symbol that everything belongs to him don't get the idea that 10% of what you have belongs to God all that you have belongs to God because the one who owns the Sheep owns the wool and you happen to belong to him and all that you have belongs to him and the tithe there's only an emblem and assemble Malachi 3 verse 8 will a man Rob God yet you've robbed me but you say wherein have we robbed thee in pies and in offerings now when we when we steal from others whether it be armed robbery or a dishonest day's work or where we hold back the wages from those who work for us or whether we try to swindle somebody with a shrewd deal or whether we try by gambling to get what belongs to somebody else into our possession or whether we fail to give love or whether we fail to honor God as we are you know who we really steal from the most ourselves you see when you fail in these other ways do you know the person who is robbed it is you the Bible says in Jeremiah chapter 5 verse 25 your iniquities have turned away these things and your sins have withholding good things from you your sins have withholding good things from you it pays to serve Jesus it pays every day it pays every step of the way you have defrauded yourself in seeking to get you're the one who loses now we need to teach this to our children we need to teach our children integrity line upon line precept upon precept but here's the second thing we need to teach them not only do we need to teach them integrity we need to teach them industry now remember what our verse said let him that stole steal no more but rather raah let him labor working with his hands the thing which is good work is not bad work is good work is not a curse work is a blessing you know what is wrong with this generation our young people do not know by and large the duties of honest work and labor now the Bible is very clear about the necessity of work the Bible says in 2nd Thessalonians chapter three and verse 10 if any would not work neither should he eat the ancient Jews they understood the meaning of this commandment thou shalt not steal and they also understood the commandment that says six days shalt thou labor was just as well it was just as true as the one that says on the seventh day with arrest God commands lavery says six days shalt thou labor they saw labor and work as a divine imperative and the old rabbis used to say this he who does not teach his son a trade teaches him to steal we are boys and girls are going to college today and graduate with college and still don't know how to make a living the rabbi's again saw work as a gift from God and the prophets did also Ecclesiastes chapter 5 verses 18 and 19 listen to it behold that which I've seen it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh Under the Sun all the days of his life which God giveth him for it is his portion what that God gives him work and then the fruit of his work every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth and hath given him power to eat thereof and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labour this is the gift of God labour is the gift of God work is not a curse six days shalt thou labor now today everybody wants to get in a position where they gonna win the sweepstakes so they won't have to work anymore there's so many people have the idea you know if I just had several millions of dollars I would work anymore that'd be pathetic be pathetic I don't care how much money you have but we have a generation today that doesn't want to work and we have we have a great number of people in America very frankly who are not working and I want to say a word it may sound political but it's not political it's moral and Biblical you cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the industrious out of it you don't multiply wealth by dividing it and government cannot give to anybody anything that it doesn't first take from somebody else and when somebody receives something without working for it some else has to work for it without receiving it we have to understand that and the worst thing that can happen in the nation is for half the people to get the idea they don't have to work because somebody else will work for them and the other half to get the idea does no good to work because they don't get to keep what they work for the Bible teaches that if a man shoot would not work neither should he eat now what happened here and our young people have to be retrained just an honest day's work it happened in the 60s and and in the 60s we were talking about the hippies and the flower children and and they were going around smoking dope and saying peace brother and talking about free love and dope was hope and sex was salvation and they were saying make love and not war and all of that and we said well aren't they kind of silly but underneath all of that was the philosophy that simply said turn on tune in and drop out and the only dirty four-letter word was wor K now that was a generation in the 60s the sad thing about that is they've taken off their frayed jeans and the beads and trimmed up the hair put on suits and go into Washington [Applause] we that that was the biggest cultural revolution well we had a generation that did not understand the work ethic that was taught by our fathers and is still not true in America today that by and large there is a work ethic and those who are working are not working for the pleasure and the joy of cooperating with Almighty God in running this world that he's made for us but they're only working to get enough money so they can stop working the Bible says let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labor working with his hands that which is good it's good to work work is not bad work is good we need to put our nation back working the same thing as true in our prisoners did you know in 1828 approximately eighty-five percent of the inmates in prison were gainfully employed that is when they were in prison they were put to work in nineteen ninety less than ten percent of those in the prison's work Charles Colson says this and I want to quote he says with one of the most destructive and wasteful national policies imaginable we are deliberately keeping almost a million men and women out of the labor force and denying them the skills they will need when they are released from prison to reenter the labor force what we do he said I I visited he said I visited more than 400 prisons he said I see these men locked in a narrow cell and lying on their bunks staring at the ceiling nothing to do they live in a 6x9 cage with a tiny black and white television set a few books and absolutely nothing to do we've seen the sullen expressions that downcast eyes the simmering bitterness whoever we have a generation today many of these young people who are in these prisons in older people they never learned how to work they didn't have a daddy who taught him a trade they didn't have a mama who made him carry out the trash they did not earn the basic things of industry how long will this nation go on those of you who want to to retire you're getting the idea that pretty soon you're going to retire so you can do nothing god have mercy upon your pitiful soul you'll never retire from serving God and if you are well enough off so that you don't have to go report in at eight o'clock to the office that just gives you more time to serve God with all of your heart all of your soul if you look you see the opposite of work is idleness idleness just simply not doing anything we need to teach our children not only do we need to teach them integrity but we need to teach them industry industry let them labor working with their hands start earlier with these boys and girls let me give you a good verse put in your margin lamentations 3 verse 27 it is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth you know what that means don't ever get the idea well they're only children now they ought not to work when they're children wait till they grow up and when they grow up then they'll work and let the children play when the children now folks I I've known what it is to work since I was a child you may think that being the preacher is no work you may think you don't work you just you just a preacher you talked a little bit on Sunday morning I've known what it is to work when I was in a grammar school and junior high school I was buying my own clothes I ran a milk route and did a day's work in junior high school before the other kids were getting out of bed I used to deliver milk to the girl I'm married to right now she'd go look out the window to see me set the milk down there on her back porch I need a day's work I'm not bragging about it and he didn't hurt me my dad believed that his boys ought to work my brother and I had to cut the grass you know what kind of grass we had in our front yard down in Florida we didn't have the kind of grass we have up here we had a grass called bitter blue and it's thick and when he'd say cut the grass I was both bitter and blue because I want to tell you we didn't have one of these kind of mowers we had one of these kind of mowers that you push and we didn't have one of those kind of edges with a string on it we had a little Halfmoon thing that you put your foot on and went around all day long we work on that yard my brother and I my dad had come home and inspected look at it I tell you it was it's hard work in the Florida Sun when you say boys that's a good job that really looks good I'm so good felt so good felt I'd done something and and and we we earned our way I'm not I worked my way through college I've bus tables I've been a carpenter's helper I've been an elevator mechanic I've been a used car salesman I've been a fruit picker I've done all of these things but I'll tell you one thing I did I got married I went to four years of college and four years of seminary raised the family allowed my wife to stay home I worked in the daytime I worked at night I got out without owing anybody anything I give God the praise I give God the glory and it didn't hurt me and I learned how to work because I learned how to work as a child and my daddy taught me how to work and I'm glad he did I'm glad he did not you say well you think you're hot stuff no I don't I'm just giving you a testimony I'm telling you friend that work is good and the Bible says it's good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth and nothing wrong with work and we need to teach our children integrity let him that stole steal no more and we need to teach the ministry and sometimes folks it's easier to do it yourself than to get them to do it amen I mean like teaching a four-year-old is old enough to gather up all the trash and carry out then emptied the trash but you have to go help him to do it and pick it up and and go with him and guide him and do it a six or seven year old they can help with the dishes ten twelve they can work in the yard and remember that when you're teaching them industry when they go to school it's a part of their work their activities their paper routes their babysitting the music lesson the practice time that's work to them just like your work is work to you now you say pastor Rogers don't you don't you want to let them play of course you let them play but this summer a lot of kids will be saying there's nothing to do they'll be bored around my house I was afraid to act bored because my dad finds something for me to do let them let them work when they work and when they play the play will be a whole lot sweeter now look at this verse Ephesians 4 verse 28 number one it says let him that stole steal no more that is integrity but rather let him labor that is industry now here's the third thing that he may have to give to him that needeth the opposite of stealing is not not stealing but it is giving it is giving and for every negative there's a positive and we need to teach our children generosity we need to teach them charity we need to teach our children to work not only to meet their Greed's but to meet other's needs let me give you a verse for your margin Acts chapter 20 verses 33 and following here's what the Apostle Paul had to say he said I have coveted no man's silver our gold our apparel yay yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities and to them that were with me he said I had my needs met because I worked and then he said I was able to meet the necessities of them that with were with me and now listen to this I have showed you all things how that's so laboring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus how he said it is more blessed to give than to receive laboring that we might have to meet our needs and laboring that we might give to others it's a sin and a shame before God that we're expecting the to take care of our loved ones and our parents and our children when we ourselves all to do it and if we would do it with industry we would have to give to ourselves and to give to others this kind of living frees us from selfishness and little children who learn to be selfish are going to be miserable children misery comes from mirrors joy comes from windows when we are beginning to pour out and give to others I want everybody in this building they do a little experiment with me if you will not ashamed to make you feel a little childish but take your fist and squeeze it as tightly as you can for just a moment everybody if you will just take it and squeeze it just as tight and hold it there squeeze it keep it there hold it don't let go just squeeze it keep squeezing hold it don't let go don't let up just squeeze it hold it don't relax hold it there squeeze it go ahead now relax it doesn't it feel a lot better this way so many 11mm they go through life that way that's the way they go through life let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour working with his hands and things that is good that he may have to give life is made up of takers and givers teach the children to give and and and there's so much they can give give them understanding and they'll give you understanding people today want somebody to understand and to care it's an amazing thing give acceptance give forgiveness to your children don't let the bitterness poison you and them give love love means I I'll do you good no matter what you do to me teach the children to give John Wesley founder of Methodism great man of God said this in one sentence make all you can save all you can and give all you can teach children integrity teach children industry teach children charity generosity teach your children to clean up the neighbor's yard go over and help a widow carry the groceries home teach them to bring their own money to church give them give them their allowance but let them take out of their allowance a gift and and it may be a nickel a dime a quarter whatever it is but let the children have the joy of bringing their money to church let the children participate in mission projects teach the children how to give to their brothers and sisters teach them how to give train them in giving you do it by precept you do it by example do it consistently I wish I had more time but talk to you about this but I don't time is gone but I listen to me listen carefully the Bible says thou shalt not steal and I want to remind you again listen listen don't even get your books just look at me Jesus on that cross poured out his life's blood for you he suffered bled and died for you he bought you you belong to him are you saved if you steal from God I will promise you as surely as my name is Adrian Rogers that you'll steal from yourself for your sins have withholding good things from you if I had a thousand lives to live I'd give every one of them to Jesus I am so glad that I know Christ as my personal Savior and Lord I know all of the tours of this world that we cling to we're soon gonna leave we used to say when I was a kid Finders Keepers losers weepers finders keepers Jesus says keepers weepers losers finders lose my life lose your life for my sake in the Gospels and you'll find it jesus said of the devil the thief cometh but to steal and kill and to destroy I've come that you might have life and have it abundantly Satan is the biggest thief of all and he wants to steal from you the abundant life that Jesus has for you do you know what you ought to do if you've never done it right now you ought to just open your heart and say Lord Jesus I received the gift of salvation and I give myself back to you Lord I don't want to steal from you my very life belongs to you and I give it to you right now and friend you'll understand that when you give to him he gives back to you and what he gives to you is nothing and compared to what you give to him or gave up for him let's bow our heads in prayer if you'd like to be saved I won't invite you to pray a prayer like this just pray it out of your heart dear God I know that you love me and I know that you want to save me Jesus I believe you're the Son of God I believe you paid my sin debt with your blood on the cross I believe that God raised you from the dead you died to save me and promised to save him if I would trust you I do trust you Lord Jesus right now I trust you Lord Jesus come into my heart forgive my sin save me Lord Jesus would you pray that prayer coming to my heart forgive my sin save me Lord Jesus pray it from your heart meaning save me Lord Jesus then would you pray this Lord Jesus because you died for me I'll live for you and Lord Jesus give me the courage to confess you openly and publicly help me not to be ashamed of you and your holy name I pray [Music] we pray God has blessed you as you've watched this message if you'd like additional copies or information on other resources write us at love worth finding Bo box 38 800 memphis tennessee 38134 at lwf dot o-r-g in the US you can place Visa or MasterCard orders by calling 1-800 two seven four five six eight three Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time thank you and may God richly bless you [Music]

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Keywords: integrity, don't, leave, home, without, it, perfect, ten, for, that, win, Adrian, Rogers, Dr, Pastor, Teacher, Teaching, Preacher, Preaching, Evangelist, Prophet, Prophecy, Truth, Praise, Faith, Worship, Gospel, Grace, Word, Minister, Ministry, Ministries, Love, Worth, Finding, God, Jehovah, Jesus, Christ, Christian, Christianity, Yahweh, Messiah, Saviour, Savior, Lord, Holy, Spirit, King, Lamb, Ghost, Bible, Bellevue, Baptist, Church, Saved, Salvation, Sermon, Fellowship, Trinity, Preist, Missionary, Revival, Lost, Sin, Satan, Backslide, Help, Forgiveness

Id: _uvzT7K4rR4

Length: 38min 49sec (2329 seconds)

Published: Sun Nov 26 2017