Let's take our Bibles and turn
to the book of Proverbs, chapter 10. Proverbs, chapter 10. Let's read verses 2 to 5. Proverbs
10, verses 2 to 5. Treasures of wickedness profit
nothing, but righteousness delivereth from death. The Lord will not
suffer the soul of the righteous to famish, but he casteth away
the substance of the wicked. He becometh poor that dealeth
with a slack hand, but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
He that gathereth in summer is a wise son, but he that sleepeth
in harvest is a son that causeth shame." Now these four verses deal with
what is truly profitable and will endure. What's going to be to my profit,
what's going to endure into eternity? That's what this is dealing with. What is it that's going to be
to my gain and to my health and to my admonition? What is it going to be? What
kind of treasures? And what is not going to sustain? And what's not going to endure? The Lord said in Matthew 6, 19,
21, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth
and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal,
but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. where neither moth
nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through
nor steal. For where your treasure is, there
will your heart be also." Now you know you think about this. My first inclination, this is
the way I think, and I know that this is the way you think too.
Our first inclination is to lay up treasures upon earth. Now that's, you know that, you
know we do that. You know we do. We just, you
know, you work and you, you know, you want to be responsible and
you want to be careful. You got your 401s and you got
your, you know, everything, all the other numbers and stuff like
that. And boy, I tell you what, you know, the economy is just,
you know, I mean, it takes, you know, you take a You take a thousand
point dive in a dive in one day, I mean, just for 30 minutes and
all of a sudden you're just, you know, you're trying to add
numbers and you're trying to think, man, what did I, you know.
We just, we just, we do that. And here the Lord has told us,
don't do it. Now I'm not, I'm not talking
about being irresponsible. I'm not talking about going and
selling your stuff. I'm not saying that. What I'm
saying is, If riches does increase, don't set your heart on them.
Because they're going to fail. They're not. They're not going
to endure. You know that. But lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven where thieves don't break through
and rust doesn't corrupt it. Boy, these words that we read
and we so desperately need to know. Help me here. I'm so prone
to not. I'm just prone to do what you
tell me not to do, and I don't do what you tell me to do. Now, these scriptures that we just
read, they ultimately deal with. With eternal things, you know
that heavenly things now there are scriptures where the Lord
does deal does speak of earthly treasure and things that we have
right now and need right now. Listen to this one. Matthew 6,
30 to 32. Wherefore, if God so clothed
the grass of the field which today is and tomorrow is cast
into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little
faith? Therefore, take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? What
shall we drink? Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do
the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly Father knoweth
that you have need of all these things." I've not missed a meal. And I
got up this morning and I had opened up my closet and I had
something to wear. And I drove over here. And you know, we got on. Turn
the lights on. And you know, the board has truly
provided, hadn't he? He's kept us. And it really,
to be honest with you, it really didn't matter. It didn't really
matter what the economy did last week. I'm still sitting right
here right now. And I'm still able to enjoy.
And I had breakfast this morning. I've got just exactly what I
need right now. And here I've been just blessed
immensely to be able to be here. And I've got a heart that the
Lord's given me to want to talk about what I'm talking about.
And for that, I'm thankful. And do you know that whatever
I do have in my checking account or you have in your checking
account right now, whatever is there right now, what difference does
it really make right now? Nothing right now. You're sitting
here. You're not writing a check. Right now, you have what you
need. Right now. Now has He not provided that? Why do I not believe Him as ought?
Why? Why do I fret? Why do I? Why? Because I'm just a frail,
weak creature. And it really does grieve me
for the way I am. These scriptures that we just
read, they deal with the difference between that which is eternally profitable and that
which is not eternally profitable. Listen to verse 2 again. Treasures
of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivered from
death. Now, to understand the first
part of that verse. Treasures of wickedness profiteth
nothing. To understand that really, we've
really got to look at the second part of that verse first. And this is what it says. But
righteousness delivereth from death. Now, there is a righteousness
that truly does deliver from death, from eternal death, from
spiritual death. There is a righteousness that
does deliver from that. Now, we're going to die unless
we are standing here at the second coming of Christ and Paul says,
we which remain shall not precede them that died in the Lord and
sleep in Christ. Now, there is coming a time when
there will be believers. standing on this earth when the
Lord comes. And it will be a day just like
today, a day that we're really not expecting. And the trump
of God will sound and it's over. Before you know it, you're standing
before God. In the twinkling of an eye, just
a quiver of eyelids, just standing before God. Now in that day, This, that last
half right there, now that's when that part of that scripture
is truly going to be important. A righteousness that delivereth
from death. Jeremiah 23.6 says, In his days
Judas shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely. For this
is his name, whereby he shall be called the Lord our righteousness."
Now if you want to know that righteousness that delivereth
from death, there it is right there. It's His name. The Lord
our righteousness. That's the only righteousness
that will deliver from death. The only righteousness. There's
no other righteousness. No other righteousness that's
going to deliver from death. His. His. That's it. I mean, Start today if you want to. And
I mean try as hard as you can to, you know, which you can't,
but you know, try. And do all you can do and read
all the tracts you can and pass all the tracts out and try to
pray as long as you can and try to read your Bible all you can
and just isolate yourself and just be a monk if you want to.
And I mean, but I'm telling you, your righteousness is not going
to stand before God. His righteousness. Isaiah 61,
10, I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful
in my God, for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation. He hath covered me with the robe
of righteousness. As a bridegroom, He decketh Himself
with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth Herself with her jewels. So there is only one righteous. There is a righteous, but righteousness
delivereth from death. Lord, teach me something about
this. Teach me something of Your righteousness. Teach me something
concerning Christ, the Lord, our righteousness. By grace, God saves His people. Close them with the righteousness
of His Son, God-man. God-man, the Son of Man who took
upon Himself flesh and blood because that was the way His
brethren were. A man. God-man. A man believed God. A man honored
God. Honored God's law. Exalted the
law. Exalted it. Honored it. Obeyed
it. Fulfilled it. Fulfilled all of
it in obedience and death. What the law demanded for obedience,
He did it. Never deviated. Never deviated.
Not one time. See, I can't even quit deviating
right now. I mean, it's stuff that just
went through my mind so quickly, and I thought, where did that
come from? Why do I think like that? And
He never deviated one time. I'll try to pray, And I think, I need to start
over. What I was just saying, I'm just
so frail and weak. Not one time did he ever deviate.
How do you know that? The Father said, that's my beloved
Son whom I'm well pleased. Just that commendation right
there, that epitaph right there, that word right there, he never
deviated. Obeyed God, but in his obedience,
he was also obedient unto death. even the death of the cross.
You see, when He honored the law, what the law demanded to
me, what the law demanded from my disobedience, He made Himself
what I am and made Himself answerable to the law for me. So therefore,
in obedience and in death, the law demanded, He fulfilled the
law in obedience And in death, all of it, you see, that righteousness
was wrought by a man. His righteousness, righteousness
delivereth from death. He died for me. He paid what I owed. So we see that the Lord God,
who delivers by grace, He did it Righteously. He did it justly. I always thought that God just
forgave people just because. You know, just like, don't worry
about it, we'll just sweep it under the table. No. I'm a just
God. Somebody's going to die. God doesn't just sweep something
under the rug. That's not right. There's no
plea bargain with God. You know, you go to court and
there'd be a plea bargain a little bit. You know, well, OK, I know
you're guilty, but we're going to just make you a little less
guilty in the eyes of God. Not with God. I'm telling you,
God is righteous and just. So there's a righteousness delivereth
from death, but the key to that first part was understood by
this. Here's the first part. The treasures
of wickedness profit nothing, profiteth nothing. Well, the second part was talking
about righteousness, and evidently we know we're talking about the
righteousness of Christ that delivereth from death. Well,
what about those treasures of wickedness? That's talking about
what you and I do. That's talking about the best
that we can do. Treasures of wickedness are treasures
that a man thinks is going to merit righteousness before God
that he accomplished. That's me. I mean, you think
about this now. Think about where in lies your
hope. Let me just share with you what
I thought my treasure was. See, I walked down the aisle
more than once. One time when I was nine. One time when I was about 14.
And then another time, I just had to do it. I had to come down
on rededication because I felt so that I deviated somewhat.
So I came down on rededication. So see, I made two, I actually
made two professions of faith and rededication, was baptized,
you know, got wet twice. And when the Lord called me out
of darkness, confessed him in baptism then, but I'm telling
you now, really, you'd have a hard time convincing me that before
the Lord called me out of darkness that I didn't have some treasures. Because I had, I did, I came
down and I did and I was relatively sincere. I meant it. And I found myself to be emotional
about it. So therefore I had to have meant
it because I cried. But do you know that all in my
mind that I had was what I had done. I did that. That was a treasure to me. But
the scripture reveals that that was a treasure of wickedness.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not, we prophesied
your name, we cast out devils in your name, we've done many
wonderful works in your name. And he said, and I will say unto
them in that day, depart from me, you workers of iniquity. But that was a treasure to me. He said, listen, the only true
enduring treasure is what he does, not what you do, not what
I do. That's the only thing that's
going to endure. Treasures of wickedness profit nothing. Nothing. You mean nothing? I mean nothing. but righteousness,
righteousness. And there is none righteous,
no, not one. There is only one righteous man
that ever walked this earth, the Lord Jesus Christ. Righteousness. In Him dwelleth righteousness. Titus 3, 5, "...not by works
of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy,
He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of
the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus
Christ our Savior. So here's the first thing I know.
That which is going to endure. That's what I'm preaching on.
That which endures. Treasures of wickedness profit
nothing, but righteousness delivereth from death. Verse 3, The Lord
will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish. But he casteth
away the substance of the wicked." Those who were made righteous,
holy by the righteousness of Christ, that's what the Scriptures
say, chosen us in Him that we should be holy. And our holiness
is totally, totally found in His righteousness. We are holy
in Him. Those made righteous hunger after
righteousness. Those who are made righteous
in Christ hunger after Christ. The Lord will not suffer the
soul of the righteous to famish. David said, I know I've been
young, now I'm old, yet I've not seen the righteous forsaken
or his seed begging bread. You know, we were talking about
the Lord providing. He may send ravens to bring you something
to eat, he may cause the crews of oil to never fail meal in
the barrel. But I'm telling you, his grace
is sufficient. His grace is sufficient. The Lord will not suffer the
soul of the righteous to famish. That is, to not have Christ to
feast upon. Christ is the bread of heaven. Eat of me, that's what he says.
He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood. What does that mean?
Those who by faith eat or live upon his life and death. He that eats my flesh and drinks
my blood has life in him. His life is our life. His death is our life. eats of me by faith." The Scripture
says the Lord will not allow. Why? Because He's all-powerful. He will not allow, will not suffer
the soul of the righteous to famish. Blessed are they, the Lord says,
which do hunger and thirst after righteousness. They shall be
filled. God is going to bless those that
He draws unto Himself. He calls us to be made like little
children. He's going to feed them. I'm
not going to allow, I'm not going to suffer the soul of the righteous
to famish. No. They're going to eat of Christ. God is going to feed His children. But He casteth away the substance
of the wicked. There's something that's just
It's not going to sustain. It's not going to endure. What is it? It's the substance
of the wicked. Here again, that which man alone
can do. Haggai 1.6. Listen to this. You've
sown much and bring in little. You eat, but you have not enough. You drink, but you're not filled
with drink. You clothe you, but there's none warm. And he that
earneth wages, earneth wages to put it into a bag of holes. It just ain't enough. It's just
never enough. And before Almighty God, it's
never enough. Is there enough that I can do
to please the Lord? No. Oh, that God would bring us to that
point that caused us to see that our all-sufficiency is in him. Verse 4, he becometh poor that
dealeth with a slack hand, but the hand of the diligent maketh
rich. You know, I can so easily see
how this can be read by the world. And I mean, it seems to make
perfect sense. You know, this is what they'll
say. He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand. Well, that
means that he that's lazy, he that, you know, man that doesn't
work, don't eat. You know, he that dealeth with
a slack hand, but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. You
know, that means if you, I mean, do the best you can and go out
there and work hard and you'll reap the benefits. And, you know,
that's probably good advice. Humanly speaking, that's probably
good advice. Nothing worse than a lazy person.
Just, you know, lazy. I mean, you know, and nothing
more, you know, honorable. Boy, he's a hard worker. He's
a hard working guy. I mean, it makes sense. I mean,
there's no doubt about it. It just doesn't have anything
to do with that scripture. These are spiritual things. Keeping
in the context of what we're talking about, he becometh poor. He's destitute. He becometh poor
that dealeth, that makes, or produces. with a slack hand,
a deceitful palm. And I'm talking about spiritual
things. Understand spiritual things.
He becometh poor, but the hand, the power of the diligent, actually
the hand of the gold maketh rich. Now let me tell you this. He's
talking about two different things right here. Number one, The first
part is talking about me and you in our ability or inability
to produce anything. This is talking about the best
that a man can do. He becometh poor that dealeth
with a slack hand, a deceitful. And you know that all men are
deceitful. All men are liars. All men are
deceptive in themselves. That's the way we're born. He
becometh poor. If you want to know how will
the end be of a person that is left to themselves, that's left
in their own deceit? Poor. Poor. The best I can do. That's talking about me and you.
He becometh poor. It's brought to pass. He becometh. Not only is He poor now, but
I'll be poor then and I'll be poor eternally. Becometh. A never-ending. Poor. He becometh
poor that dealeth, that makes, that does the best that he can
for himself spiritually. He becometh poor. But the hand
of the diligent, and there's not but one diligent, there's
not but one. That's the hand, that's the power
of the Lord Jesus Christ. See, part of that verse is talking
about the best a man can do, and the last part is talking
about what God's done for His people. But the hand, the power
of the diligent, the hand of the gold, the hand of Christ,
the power of Christ makes a man rich. Rich in Him. Rich in faith. Eternal treasures. That's Him. Me, I can do nothing,
but him, the gold himself, he who is tried in the fire, the
man Christ Jesus, he maketh rich. He's the diligent one. His hat
can be read. I become poor because I deal
with a deceitful hand, but the power of Christ makes a man rich. That's what it says. hand of
the diligent. Why do you think that you and
I would ever be in that category of being the diligent? The diligent? The gold? No. We are what we are by the grace
of God found in Him. And then lastly, He that gathereth
in summer is a wise son But he that sleepeth in harvest is a
son that causes shame." Here again, I mean, if you look at
it humanly speaking, if you see all of it in just human terms,
it's just coming right down to being whether a man's lazy or
whether he's not, whether he's industrious or whether he's not,
whether he's a slacker or whether he's a diligent man or something
like that. Man, there's some diligent men and women in this
life that don't know God. Now what profit do they have,
really? I'm serious. Why is it, Lord, that you speak
in parables? He said, because it's given unto
you to understand and to know the mystery of the kingdom, but
unto them it's not given. Anybody can read that right there,
and in their mind it makes perfect sense to them. but only if the
Lord gives a man a heart to reveal the mystery of the kingdom. He
that gathereth in summer is a wise son. There's not but one wise son.
There's not but one wise son. Who is that? Now you know that. It's wisdom himself. The beloved
son. He that gathereth in summer,
in the time of harvest, when it please God, Paul said,
who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace. He that gathereth when the harvest
is right. Whenever it pleases the Lord.
He that gathereth. He that calls. He that is able. He that's all-powerful. He that
gathereth in the time of harvest." That's a wise son. He that came
into this world to seek and to save that which was lost. What's
he going to do? He's going to gather all of his.
All that the Father has given me, they shall come to me. How are they going to come? In
the day of His power, He's going to make them willing. In the
day of the harvest, they're going to come. They're going to see
Him. They're going to know Him. And
He'll reveal Himself. He'll give them a new heart and
write His law from their heart. And they'll cry out to Him. He makes them to see their need
of Him. Now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. Every time there's a season,
a time for every purpose under heaven, He that gathereth. He that comes to get His own.
Those that He's everlastingly stood for. Those that He's everlastingly
loved. In the summertime. What's that? Talking about the time of the
gathering. The time of the harvest. But he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causes shame."
What is that? Well, I'll be honest with you.
It's those that refuse to come. They won't come. God leaves them
and allows them to do just exactly what they want to do. Now listen. As clearly as I know to say this, Paul said in Romans 1.16, he
said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel. It's the power of God
and salvation. The gospel sets forth the glory
of God and the redemption of His people. It sets forth God's
glory, God's honor. God's praise. God's might. God's power. The Gospel. It honors
the Son. The Gospel is concerning Christ.
Now, here's a wise son. A wise son. The Lord Jesus Christ,
the only wise son. He gathers in the time of harvest. But if the Lord leaves a man
to sleep in the harvest, Now, if you're sitting here and
these things mean nothing to you, it's just a little folding
of the hands, a little, you know, it's almost 11. Six more minutes. He that sleepeth in the harvest
is a son that causes shame. in that day, Almighty God, when
the books are opened. And in the books, all these things are brought
up. Well, on May 9, 2010, the gospel
of God's grace was set forth. Christ was set forth. And I pray
that He was honored today. I pray He was. I pray that He'd
be pleased to honor Himself. And you desire to sleep. You desire to just ignore. The books are open. Oh, in that
day may I be found in Christ. that which will endure, Christ
Himself righteousness delivereth from death. He who is gold Himself,
He that gathers in the summer, may God have mercy upon this
sinner for Christ's sake. Amen.