(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

And all right, it's a blessing to be here this evening with you all. And it's a blessing to be here at Sure Foundations. Pastor Aaron Thompson is a good friend of mine, and I've gleaned a lot of wisdom from him. I'm really thankful for his friendship and his leadership. And I'm excited about Adam and Louisa getting married tomorrow. All right. Don't mess up. Don't mess up. You got one more. One more night. All right. Don't blow it. Now, you mentioned there's a lot of Canadians here. OK. What is that thing that you said that Canadians say? A. A? For me, that's not Canadian. That's L.A. So when you say you say, yeah, when they say A, we say Orale. We say Orale, you know? So that's not Canadian. That's East L.A. I just wanted to correct you on that. And so but it's exciting to be here. And I'm thankful for the opportunity to be able to preach here. It's great to see a full house tonight. Look down at your Bibles at Ecclesiastes chapter number eight and verse number 14. It says there there is a vanity which is done upon the earth that there be just men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked. Again, there be wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. The title of my sermon this evening is Why Good Things Happen to Bad People. Why good things happen to bad people. You say, oh, you got that mixed up. You mean why do bad things happen to good people? No, no, no. Why good things happen to bad people. In other words, why do the wicked prosper? That's what I'm preaching on tonight. You know, the reality is, is if we're to look at our world today, you look at the the people and the culture, you can obviously see that the wicked are prospering today. They're successful. You see them excelling. You see them doing successful things and prospering in whatever area of life. And you know what? If you are a righteous person, it makes you mad when you see the wicked prosper, when you see them excelling, when you see them succeeding, it's like, why is this person succeeding? Why are they permitted to live? Why are these reprobates still alive? Why is it that good things are happening to bad people? Why is that? And, you know, obviously, we understand why bad things happen to good people. I mean, the Bible lays out for us very clearly through different Bible characters as to why bad things happen to good people. You know, we have the story of Joseph, for example, who was sold into slavery by his own brethren. And then he was lied about by Potiphar's wife. He was forgotten about in prison. But we see that his end was a successful end. He became the vice pharaoh of Egypt. And the Bible tells us that although they meant it into evil, God meant it into good to save much people alive. We see the end of a righteous person's life that when they go through the fire, there's a purpose behind it. You know, you think of the apostle Paul, who was persecuted by his own brethren. But yet at the end of his life, he finished his course. He kept the faith. He was very successful. And God used them in a great way. In spite of the trials, in spite of the persecution, he came forth as gold. One of the most famous stories in the Bible, Job, right? You can't talk about trials and afflictions without talking about Job. And Job went through some very difficult situations. He lost his children. He lost all his resources. He lost the respect of his own wife. He lost everything. But yet we see that in his latter end, God bless them more and his latter end that he did in the beginning. And the Bible tells us that we have seen the patience of Job and the end of the Lord, that the Lord is pitiful and of tender mercies. So we see that when Christians go through hardships and trials and difficulties, we understand what the latter end of that, you know, that trial is going to be. We understand that God's going to work it out together for good. Romans 8, 28. However, you know, it can still be perplexing to someone. You know, when you're in the midst of a trial, you're like, why is this happening to you? I'm soul winning. I'm in a right type of church. I'm reading the Bible. I love the Lord. I'm trying to clean up my life. I love God. I hate reprobates. I believe the right doctrine. What's going on? Why is this bad thing happening to me? And you know what? When you're in the midst of a trial, it's very perplexing and confusing as to why that difficulty is happening to you, right? Well, you know, in like manner, it can be very perplexing when we see the unjust prospering in their way as well. You know, when you see good men, when they seem to experience a punishment that would be custom fitted for the wicked and bad men seem to receive the reward that is due unto the just. Solomon proverbializes this in Chapter eight, verse 14. Let's read it again. It says there is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there be just men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked. In other words, hey, there's righteous men out there who receive the recompense that a wicked person would receive. Then he says, then there'll be wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. And then he says, I said that this also is vanity. We can feel with Solomon, can we not? When we look at this world, we see the wicked people of this world and we wonder, why aren't they dead yet? Why hasn't God just judged them like today? Why are they permitted to continue to succeed and excel and their wicked devices? Why is that? OK, you know, you think of your unsaved neighbor, for example, your unsaved neighbor who's adulterous. He cheats on his wife. He's a liar. He's dishonest at work. And yet he seems to be succeeding in his life. Nothing bad's happening to him. He's like, man, I try to be as honest as I possibly can at work. This person is so wicked. He drinks, he smokes weed, he does all these wicked things, and nothing bad's happening to him. Why are good things happening to bad people? You know, why is it that my boss, I'm not talking about my boss. OK, but I'm speaking in your place, right? You know, why is it that my boss, you know, this guy doesn't he's not a Christian, doesn't seem to fear God. He he's covetous, he's wicked, he's dishonest. You know, sometimes he lies about certain things. So he can make more money at the business. Why is it that this person is permitted to succeed in his business? Why is God allowing him to excel in his business? Why do good things happen to bad people? Go to Jeremiah chapter number five. Hold your place there in Ecclesiastes. We're going to return there. Go to Jeremiah chapter number five, if you would. And make no mistake about it. Good things do happen to bad people all the time today, yesterday. And until the end of time, good things will happen to bad people. Let me read to you from Psalm 37 verse seven. It says, rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him. Fret not thyself because of him who prosper it in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass, the Bible says. So God is saying, hey, you know, the remedy, the type of mindset you need to have when you see the wicked prospering. Number one, you need to rest on the Lord. In other words, trust God to don't fret. Don't worry. Mind of mind your own business, in other words. And the reason he says that is because wicked people who prosper make us an impatient. They make us fret. They make us wonder. They make us question. They make us doubt. It's like, man, am I doing that which is right? Why is it that these people are succeeding? Look at Jeremiah Chapter five. Jeremiah went through something like this. Look at verse 26 of Jeremiah Chapter five. It says, For among my people are found wicked men. They lay wait as he that said it snares. They set a trap. They catch men as a cage is full of birds. So are their houses full of deceit. So these aren't this isn't like Mr. Rogers. OK, this is bad people. They're laying in wait. You know, they're conspiring to hurt people. They set snares. They trap men. Their houses are full of deceit. They're dishonest people. And look, look what they get because of that. Therefore, they are become great and waxen rich. That sounds like like a contradiction. It's like, wait, wait, hold on a second. This people's doing wickedly. He's deceitful. He's laying snares for the righteous. But yet they're become great and waxen rich. Look at verse 28. They are waxen fat. They shine. Yea, they oppress. They overpass the deeds of the wicked. They judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless. Yet they prosper and the right of the needy. Do they not judge? They're dishonest, yet they're still succeeding. They're excelling. Why is that? And look, this is a thought that I'm sure you've had because Jeremiah had it. Jeremiah's like, man, I'm preaching the word of God. I'm doing that which is right. Yet these guys, they're rich. They're waxen fat. They're shining. People are listening to them more than they're listening to me. Proverbs 28 verse 8 says this, He that by usury and unjust gain increase it to substance. He shall gather it for him that will pity the poor. And look, just because someone's prospering in their business and they're wicked, it doesn't mean they're doing it by righteous means. Sometimes they're doing it because of unjust gain, the Bible says. They're being dishonest. I mean, you have drug dealers. For example, Pablo Escobar, right? That guy was so filthy rich, he made his own prison. He was so filthy rich, he had all types of exotic animals imported into, you know, Colombia. And yet, was he doing it because he was winning souls? He was just a very honest man. He was in the hand of the diligent. He was just so diligent, you know. He that is diligent in his business, he shall stand before kings and not before mean men. Was that him? No. He did it because of unjust gain. He did it unrighteously, but yet he prospered. This is what the Bible's telling us. People who don't fear God, they don't go to church. Why is it that good things happen to them? Sometimes that can be perplexing. Go with me, you're in Jeremiah 5. Go to Jeremiah 12, chapter number 12. I'm gonna read to you from Ecclesiastes chapter 7 verse 15, it says, all things have I seen in the days of my vanity. There is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. In other words, why is it that the 16-year-old, the 21-year-old who's in church, he's doing right, he dies all of a sudden? And then you have someone as wicked as Hugh Hefner who's permitted to live until, I don't know, he's 150 billion years old, something like that. Old geezer, he's allowed to live for that long. It's like, why? Herein lies the paradox. Herein lies the anomaly of life. Why is it that the wicked are allowed to live and prosper and succeed? This is the mystery. Look at Jeremiah 12, verse one, it says, righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee. Yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments. Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? Wherefore are they happy that deal very treacherously? You have to think, man, these people, they're really miserable deep down in sight. Well, some of them are actually happy. Some of them, they love drinking till 12 midnight, one o'clock in the morning. They love fornicating. They love doing drugs. They love living unrighteously. They're happy. Yet they deal treacherously, but they're still happy. Why is that? I thought that the way of the transgressor was hard. Right, don't you think about that? I thought the way of the transgressor was hard. I thought that they're supposed to receive the just consequences of their actions. Why is it that they have not yet? Look at verse two, thou hast planted them. Yea, they have taken root, they grow. Yea, they bring forth fruit. Thou art near in their mouth and far from their reigns. But thou, O Lord, knowest me. Thou hast seen me and tried mine heart toward thee. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter and prepare them for the day of slaughter. He keeps asking, wherefore, why? Why is this taking place? And that's what I want to talk about this evening because it can be confusing to a Christian when they see the righteous suffer and it's just as perplexing to witness the prosperity and the success of the wicked. Why is God allowing these reprobates to live? You ever think about that? You know, some of the worst reprobates in this world, why are they permitted to just continue to go on and nothing happens to them? And some of them don't even get caught, right? Why is that? Why won't God just destroy that person? You know what I've asked myself? Sometimes I'll read the comments section of my YouTube channel and I'm like, God, why don't you just destroy that commentator? Like they're like typing, they're like blank you and all this stuff and then it's like, God, just when they hit enter, just allow them to just like discombobulate, allow them to just blow up, just make their heads just pop. You know, please, please. And look, you've thought that too. Maybe not in that elaborate way, I'm very creative, but you've thought that too, like why, God, why is this troll permitted to just keep trolling? And sometimes I read it and you know, I don't know if you're anything like me, I'll type up like an entire like rebuttal and I'm just like, I'm just gonna erase this. I'm just like, please just destroy this person. This wicked reprobate, okay. Why won't God do it? Why won't he destroy them? And again, they're prospering, they're allowed to live. Why is that? Well, I'm gonna answer that tonight. Now, I'm gonna give you six points tonight, okay, as to why the wicked prosper. Why is it that good things happen to bad people? But before I do that, let me just make something very clear that I'm talking about two categories of people here, okay. The first category are the unsaved who can still be saved, okay. These are people who are just sinful. You know, your neighbor who's just, he cusses like a sailor and drinks and you know, probably is not married and he's fornicating, he's cheating, he's dishonest or whatever. And you're like, why is this person allowed to just continue in that sin and not be corrected by it? Okay, so we're talking about that person. They still have an opportunity to be saved, okay. They're just living a sinful lifestyle. But the second one is obvious who I'm talking about. These are the wicked reprobates who are beyond the hope of salvation, okay. Because you wonder like, well, they're twice dead, plucked up by the roots. God, why don't you just go ahead and take care of it right now? Why wait, right? Those are the two categories that we're gonna talk about this evening. Now, go with me if you would to, go back to Ecclesiastes and go to chapter number nine if you would. Why do good things happen to bad people? Number one, because God's blessings have a default setting. God's blessings have a default setting. What is a default setting? Well, a default setting is basically a pre-selected option, all right. It is a standard setting or a configuration and in order for you not to experience that default setting in life, you would have to do something to violate God's word or bypass it or circumvent it. And the way I can explain it is like this. I edit on a editing program called Premiere Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro. And when you download this and you put it on your computer, it comes with default settings, okay. It has four or five screens that you can use and you put your library right here, you got your folders right here, you got your monitor right here, you got your timetable here, you got your color grading section right here, but you can modify it however you want or you can leave it in the default setting. That's how you're gonna get it when you first download it, in other words, okay. And life is the same way. When we are born, when we live in this life, there's certain blessings that we automatically get just because we're God's creation. Like for example, breathing, right. That's something that the reprobate gets to do, but guess what, we get to do it too. Eat, eat food, right. That's not a blessing. Well, that's because you're not thankful, all right. But that is a blessing, amen. Clothing, food, raiment, shelter. These are default settings that people automatically get because they're the creation of God, okay. Obviously there's exceptions to the rule. Look at Ecclesiastes nine verse one. It says, for all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. No man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good and to the clean and to the unclean, to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not. As is the good, so is the sinner, and he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath. This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all. Yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil and madness is in their heart while they live and after that they go to the dead. You see there are certain things that just happen to everyone, okay. Whether righteous or unrighteous. Let me give you an example, sicknesses. Obviously you gotta take care of yourself. You need to make sure you eat right, you exercise, you drink water, you try to take care of yourself but you know what reality is, you're gonna get sick. But that is true for the righteous as well as the unrighteous. Health, for example, can be a default setting because babies sometimes are just born healthy, right. Death, by the way, is a default setting. Did you know you're gonna die just like a reprobate's gonna die, right. Or how about a wicked person, they're gonna die but guess what, so are you. Everyone experiences that default setting no matter who they are. You say well how can I modify that default setting? Well it's called getting saved. It's called getting everlasting life because then you get a resurrected body, amen. All things come alike to all. This is true for the bad but it's also true for the good, for God's blessings as well. Go to Matthew chapter number five and the reason I'm saying this is because we need to make sure that we understand that when good things happen to bad people it's not because they're good people. It's not because they're righteous. It's not because God's blessing them. They're just receiving, they're reaping the benefits of being God's creation. They're reaping the benefits of living in America is what they are, right. They're reaping the benefits of just being a human being. It doesn't mean that God loves them if they're reprobates. It doesn't mean God approves of their actions or their sinful lifestyle. It just means that they're just in that default setting. Let me show you. Look at Matthew chapter five verse 43. Ye have heard that it hath been said thou shall love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies. Bless them that curse you. Do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. That ye may be the children of your father which is in heaven, look what it says, for he maketh his son to rise on the evil and on the good and send its reign on the just and on the unjust. You see, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that God, yes, obviously there's certain people that God does hate, right. But his default setting is that he generally loves the world. He wants them to be saved unless someone modifies that default setting by becoming a reprobate, for example. But we see here that he blesses the just as well as the unjust as well, okay. He maketh the sun to rise on the evil and on the good and send its reign on the just as well as the unjust. Go with me if you would to go back to Ecclesiastes chapter number nine. Ecclesiastes chapter number nine. This is why good things happen to bad people. They're simply reaping the benefits of God's creation. It doesn't mean God's favoring them or blessing them for behaving unrighteously. You know, it just means that by default, they get to enjoy these things, okay. They get to enjoy a steak. They get to enjoy food, okay. They get to have shelter and be warm because by default, because they're God's creation, that's just what they get, okay. So why do good things happen to bad people? Because God's blessings have default settings. But number two, because good things can just simply be a matter of chance. Any Calvinists in here, okay. By chance. Sometimes good things happen to bad people just because they get lucky. Like whoa, whoa, hold on a second, did you say luck? I thought luck has nothing to do with it. It's called chance. Some people are just in the right place at the right time. It doesn't mean that they're righteous people or for a righteous person, it doesn't mean that they're unrighteous. It just means they're in the right place at the right time. It's called chance. I don't believe in chance, then you better read your Bible because the Bible talks about chance. Look at Ecclesiastes, if you would. Chapter number nine. Well, let me just say this first and foremost is that, you know, we think of, for example, if we want to succeed at your job, if you want a promotion at your job, you need to make sure that you're diligent, right. God specifically says within his word that if we are going to prosper, that if God's going to bless our business, that we're to be diligent, we're to be hard working people. The hand of the diligent, the Bible says, shall bear rule, but the slothful shall be under tribute. You can't be lazy. That's a principle that the Bible shares, right. Don't be lazy, be diligent, work hard, exercise wisdom, and you will be successful. That is what the Bible says, but guess what? There is an exception to that rule. What is the exception? Sometimes it's just by chance that the lazy bum, the lazy good for nothing, the one who comes late, leaves early, has no skill, doesn't want to learn, sometimes he just gets lucky by chance, he gets promoted or gets a raise or whatever. And look, if you're a hard working person, that frustrates you, because you're like, man, I've been working hard, and this idiot gets the promotion before me. Why is that? Why is this good thing happening to this bad person? Look at Ecclesiastes 9, verse 11. We sang this tonight. I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift. What? How can that be? I thought fast people win the race. Nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bred to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skills. Like, man, I got these skills, I know what I'm doing at work, and for some reason this guy got the promotion before I did. This guy doesn't even know what he's doing. Why? Look what it says. But time and chance happeneth to them all. You see, by default, if you are a man of skill, you will be promoted. By default, the people who are fast, they do win the race. By default, people who are strong, they're the ones who win the battle. The people who are wise are the ones who eat, they get the bread. The people who have understanding, they will increase their resources, they will get the promotion, but at the end of the day, you know what the Bible says? Time and chance happeneth to them all. And look, this is important because of the fact that you will experience something like this when you feel like you're being defrauded by God, you're being defrauded by your boss, you're being defrauded by whoever, fill in the blank, because you feel like this person's not qualified to be able to get this blessing. You deserve it. Well, you know what? Time and chance happeneth to them all, and it's gonna happen to you too. Where you don't deserve it, you're not a person of skill, you don't have the wisdom, you're not swift, you don't have these qualities, but you know what? You might even get the promotion, you might get the blessing because time and chance happeneth to them all, you're just in the right place at the right time, okay? Verse 12 says, For man also knoweth not his time as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. You know, I've known people, righteous people, who just, they just die a horrible death, and it's not because they were wicked. They weren't, they were churchgoers, saved people, read the Bible, did soul winning, and just died a terrible death, and it wasn't because they're wicked people, it's just they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, you know? It's like when they talked about those in the gospels where Jesus said, hey, think ye that you were, that they were sinners above everyone else, and he said, you know, except ye are paying, ye shall likewise perish. It's not like these people are just more wicked, it's just, this is just life. So anytime we see good things happening to bad people, we can't just give God the credit for that, and every time you see bad things happening to good people, you know, sometimes God gets the credit, but sometimes, you know, it's just life. It's just bad things happen sometimes. We live in a sinful world where bad things happen, that's the story, and it's by chance. God gives room for the element of chance. We're autonomous beings, okay? We're able to make our own decisions. This is why wicked people prosper, because sometimes it's just by chance, okay? Go to Ezekiel 33, Ezekiel chapter 33. Hey, this is why you're, this honest neighbor is succeeding in his life, because sometimes they're just in the right place at the right time, and that's the story, okay? So why do good things happen to bad people? Well, number one, because God's blessings can have default settings. Not only that, but good things can be a matter of chance. They're just in the right place at the right time. But number three, God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, okay? Why, you say, what does that have to do with good things happening to bad people? Well, because you think of wicked people, the people who are here at this bar drinking right now, getting drunk off their hindr parts, they're probably gonna go do something more wicked afterwards. You're like, why? Why are they allowed to just earn a paycheck, to just blow it off on alcohol, and just potentially even kill someone while they're out driving? God, why? Well, I'll tell you why, because he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. These people who are out there drinking, and they're living a sinful lifestyle, God does not approve of that, but you know what, God also wants them to be saved. He wants wicked people, I'm not talking about reparations, I'm talking about people who still have hope. He wants them to be saved. Look what the Bible says in Ezekiel 33, verse 11. Saying to them, as I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live, turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die, O house of Israel? God doesn't want them to die, because once they die, it's over. You say, what does he want? He wants them to be saved. He wants a soul winner to go and preach the gospel to get them saved, and then after they get saved, they get baptized, they start cleaning up their lives, they start repenting of their sin, they start cleaning up the alcohol and the weed and the fornication, and they start living for God, amen, that's what he wants. Ah, I just, they should just get in a car accident and teach them a lesson. No, God has no pleasure in that. He wants them to be saved is what he wants. And you know, we shouldn't have this attitude, this self-righteous holier-than-thou attitude that every single drunkard or pot-smoking delinquent is like some reprobate. They're just sinful people, you know, like you. And I'm not for just calling anybody a reprobate, okay? And I call a good amount of people reprobates, amen. But the vast majority of the population are just wicked people who are sinful, who just, I'm sorry, but they didn't grow up in church. They didn't grow up in church, they had a drunk uncle and a drunk cousin and a pot-smoking aunt and a cocaine snorting, you know, brother or whatever. And that's just the environment they grew up in. These are the bad habits that they adapted to, that they adopted to their lives. And you know what? That's why they live like that. Oh, but they should be like me. Oh, please, no. You know, we need to make sure that we get these people saved and recognize, you know why God is not allowing these people to die? Because of the fact that he wants them to be saved, okay? And let me prove it to you. Go to Romans chapter number two. Hold your place in Ecclesiastes still because we're gonna keep going back to that. Look at Ecclesiastes chapter number two. Look what it says in verse number one of, excuse me, Romans chapter number two, verse number one. It says, therefore, thou are inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou are that judgest. For wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself, for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commits such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despiseth thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? You know what he's hoping for? He's hoping that these people see God's goodness. And in turn, they get right, they get saved, okay? And look, that was me. When I was 18 years old. I remember when I was 18 years old, I didn't get saved until I was 21. And I remember when I was 18 years old, I was driving my mom's vehicle, and I didn't have a license at that time. And I had been driving since I was like 12, okay? And because I had been working since I was 12. I got myself a job under the table, okay? Because I wanted money. And I remember like I was driving and I didn't have a license. And I was on the street and then there's this police officer like next to me. And I was thinking to myself, oh man. All right, play it cool. Just like just look forward, straighten up the back. Both hands on the steering wheel. Just look like a good old citizen, okay? And so I looked over and the police officers looked at me and I'm just like, you know, just trying to play it cool. And then, you know, I kept driving and then all of a sudden you just see this. And you know, you're just kind of like looking at the rear view mirror and I was just like, oh no, this is not good, you know? So I do what everyone does when they feel like they're gonna get pulled over. I make a right. That's what everyone does. And by the way, police officers know that, okay? They know that when you make a right, right when they go behind you, that you got something to hide, okay? So this is what you do, you make a left. You gotta throw them off, okay? So I make a right and I go into this parking lot. I think it was like a laundry parking lot or something. And I just try to play it cool. They had already flashed their lights and I'm not guilty, you know? I'm just like, I get out of the car and they're like, get back in the car. I'm like, oh man, I'm in so much trouble. The car is gone, I don't have a license. And so he comes and he's like, license. And I was like, I don't have one. They're like, all right, get out. So they get me out and they put me in handcuffs, put me in the back of the cop car, right? And you know, he gives me like a speech and his buddy is like searching through the vehicle. And then he's like, why don't you have a license? I'm like, I just don't wanna go to the DMV. I said, but I know how to drive though, you know? And so then I'm like, man, my mom's gonna whoop me. I'm thinking like, I'm gonna get it when I get home. She's gonna whoop me. That's all, I didn't even care about going to jail. It's like my mom, that's who I feared. I'm like, you guys mean nothing. You guys, I'm not afraid of you. It's my mom. And so he comes back and then the guy takes me out of the car and he takes the handcuffs off and he goes, all right, man, you're good to go. And I was like, what do you mean, like I could go home? He's like, yeah, we just, you don't seem like you're a troublemaker or anything like that, so we're just gonna let you go. And then I thought to myself, I was like, okay. I was like, what about the car? And he said this, he goes, well, we're gonna go this way so if someone grabs the car and takes it that way, you know, we ain't seen anything. And I'm like, ah, I got you. So I take the car and then they pull me over again. I'm just kidding. That would've been messed up. But literally, I remember getting in the car and I just had this thought like, man, I feel like God allowed that. And I literally felt, and obviously I didn't know the Christianese lingo, but I thought to myself, like, man, I feel like God's trying to get my attention or something. And it made me think upon the Lord. And there's multiple situations like that when I felt like God was trying to get ahold of me. And the last time it happened was the time that I almost died. And it was, I remember a Friday, I was a supervisor at a telemarketing company and a lady who went to the Baptist church where I got saved, I wasn't going there yet, she came and she said, hey, I wanna invite you to our youth conference. You know, it starts on Monday. And I said, great, yeah, I wanted to go to church and look for a church and so thanks. Monday came around and she's like, hey, don't forget tonight, you know, the youth conference. And I was like, I'm going to the beach tonight with my buddies. I'll probably go like sometime next week or something like that, but thanks. And it was an older lady and she was kinda like, she was really disappointed because she wanted me to come to church. So that night, we went swimming in the ocean, me and my buddies. And we had this bright idea that we wanted to see how far we can go out, you know. And you know, see how far we can go out until we get just tired. But you know, when you're that age, you have this thing called gray matter. And you don't really think about, well, how are we gonna make it back if we're tired? So I'm swimming and then my friends, they just pass me and it's like midnight, okay. This is, it's dark and I'm like, my lungs are just burning. And I thought to myself, this was a bad idea. And my arms are tired, so I said, okay, well, I'm just gonna go under the water, just make myself touch the floor and then push myself back up because my arms are tired. Well, I kept going and I kept going and I kept going and there's no floor. And so I used whatever strength I had to just come back up and I thought to myself, I'm gonna die. I was like, I'm 21 years old and I'm gonna die because I did this stupid decision of swimming out, I'm gonna drown. My mom doesn't know where I'm at, my family doesn't know where I'm at. And I'm looking at the shore, the lights are really dim. And I cried out to my friends and I couldn't even hear them. And I remember thinking to myself, like, God, please help me to get back to the shore. Help me to just muster up whatever strength I have to make it back. And I swam and finally, I don't even know how long it took me, but I literally crawled onto the shore and had salt in my mouth, sand was all over my face. And I remember I was crawling on the beach and I looked up and I said, I should have gone to church. I should have just gone to church. I was like, this is stupid. So my friends came and they were exhausted. And I said, this is so stupid, I should have gone to church. I almost died out there. And if I died, I told them, I don't even know where I was gonna go because I knew I wasn't saved. And I kind of like rebuked them and I was like mad at them. Well, the next day I went to church and I got saved. You know, you said, what made you get saved? The goodness and forbearance of God that led me to repentance. And I'm thankful that God didn't say, you idiot, I'm just gonna let you drown and the whale swallow you up and you'll be in the belly of the whale and just eat you and then you're just gonna descend into hell quick, let you die because you're so wicked. No, he like rescued me. He helped me muster up the strength to come back. Because why? Because he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. You know, he wanted me to get saved. And so, you know, hey, if you're out there and you say, well, you know, I'm not a Christian and I'm not, you know, doing anything like that and it seems to be going pretty well with me. Well, you know what? You might wanna get right. You might wanna get saved. You might wanna repent and believe the gospel before something bad does happen to you. This might be your last chance, actually. You can walk out these doors, get in your vehicle, someone can t-bone you and you can just die and go to hell like that. Oh, I just think God's still blessing me. No, no, it's called the goodness and forbearance of God is what it is. He's trying to get your attention. He wants you to be saved. He has no pleasure in your death. But you know, if you persist to just resist the calling to get saved, there comes a time when it's too late. There's a deadline. But this is the reason why good things happen to bad people. Why? Because God wants some of these bad people to be saved. He wants them to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, okay? The Bible tells us that the Lord is not slack concerning his promises, as some men would count for slackness, but he's long suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. What do we mean by repentance? I don't mean repent of your sin. I mean change what you're trusting in to go to heaven and trust on Jesus Christ, okay? Go to Matthew chapter 15, if you would. Actually, I'm sorry, go to Jeremiah chapter five, Jeremiah chapter five. So what do good things happen to bad people? Well, number one, because God's blessings can have default settings, because good things can be a matter of chance, because God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Now, these first three points are primarily talking about that first category that I mentioned. The wicked people who can still be saved, amen? But these last three, I'm referring to reprobates, okay? Referring to those who are beyond the heart, reprobates, okay? Referring to those who are beyond the hope of salvation. Why is it that good things still happen to them? Well, number one under this category is because he's using them. He's using them, okay? You see, these people who are reprobates, who are wicked, who are haters of God are a tool in the hand of God to be used. The Bible says in Proverbs 16, verse four, the Lord has made all things for himself, yea, even the wicked for the day of evil, the Bible says. And look, you say, can you give me a primary application to today? Well, let me give you a real relevant application today by a man by the name of Kanye West. I'm not done with that yet. Cain West is a perfect example of someone who's allowed to prosper, succeed, excel, and it's not because he got saved. You know why it is? Because God is using that filthy reprobate to collect all the apostate Christians. He's using him to collect all the trash of Christians. Oh, you shouldn't call them trash. That's exactly what they are. And let me just give you an example. There's a man in our church who talked to me last night, and he said, I have a coworker who went to one of Kanye West's services. I said, it wasn't you, right? He's like, no, no, it wasn't me. And he said, look, this guy is not like, he's not a fundamental Baptist, okay? His coworker, he's like, he's not a fundamental Baptist, this guy's like a non-denom Christian. I even wonder if he's even saved, you know, I don't even know if he's saved or not. And he said, you know, he went to Kanye West's, his cult meeting, and he said, man, he goes, when all things, everything was said and done, he said, it felt so irreverent, he said. It was the worst experience ever. He goes, we're heading into, first of all, you gotta buy a ticket to get into that thing. So they call it like church, but you have to pay to get into that church service, okay? Second of all, he says that when these people, when they're going through the parking lot to enter into the Coliseum, wherever it is, the forum that they were going to, people are smoking weed outside, they're getting drunk, they're doing all manner of evil. And he's like, we're going to church? You guys are all high and drunk? You're inebriated, you're getting intoxicated at that, we're going to church. And he says, they went in there and all you smell is just weed everywhere, people are drunk, and it's just, it's a joke, it's a circus. Why is God allowing that? I'll tell you why, because the people who go to those service deserve to go to those services. That's where they belong. You know what? I made just a little clip of Kanye West, talking about how he's not safe, because he's not. And ever since then, every single day, I get messages from his defenders, every single day I get emails, I get messages on social media and on YouTube, just railing on me, criticizing me. They'll say this, oh, F you, you little bee, I'll pray for you. Wow, thanks. And basically, every single message has this, don't judge, judge is not lest it be judged. Judge me. I'll take you up on that. I'll judge you, go ahead and judge me. Let's do it. Let's do the Matthew seven. I'll judge you, and you judge me, and we'll see which one of us is righteous before the Lord. We'll compare it to the word of God, we will see what righteous judgment actually is, and you know what? We're gonna come out on top, because the fact of the matter is we're proving it according to the word of God, okay? Kanye West is being used of God, and don't you think God can use Kanye West? Yes, I believe that. God is using him in a great way. Don't you pray for Kanye West? Yes, I pray for him, I do. Don't you believe that he's saved? Well, I believe he's reserved for the blackness of darkness forever. That's what he's saved for. And look, any Christian who listens to Kanye West has rocks in their head. What about Christians? Why? This guy claims to be God in the flesh. Oh, that was his old life. That's his new one too. He's still doing it. But yeah, you wonder like, why is so many good things, why is he allowed so much influence because of the fact it's the blind leading the blind, the Bible says. The Bible tells us in Matthew 15 verse 12, then came his disciples and said unto them, knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended after they heard this saying? Don't you know all the Kanye West listeners are not gonna like what you're saying about Kanye West? But he answered and said, every plant which my heavenly father has not planted shall be rooted up. Let them alone. They be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into a ditch. You know what God calls this? Two birds with one stone. This is how he's using Kanye West. Two birds with one stone. He's like, man, this guy's wicked. They're wicked. Birds of a feather flock together. They're both blind. Guess what? I'm just gonna let them lead each other off a cliff. That's exactly what it is. So fret not when you see Kanye West and all these so-called Christians loving him. You know what? If they love him, they love such a wicked false prophet. The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 5 31, the prophets prophesy falsely and the priests bear rule by their means and my people love to have it. So the Bible says. They love it. They love the fact that Kanye West is popular right now and he's being used so greatly to see so many people saved. That guy hasn't preached the gospel once. His Sunday service was in Los Angeles at the forum and it literally looked like a Jim Jones meeting. They're all dressed in baby blue robes. They're swaying back and forth, singing Jesus walks. That's the whole thing. The word of God was not preeminent there. It was not being proclaimed. That's not something that's honoring to God and you can see all the good things that are happening to him but at the end of the day, it's because God is using him to collect all. And look, let me just say this. Satan is using this. It's kind of like he's testing out the waters here is what he's doing. Satan. So what do you mean by that? Well, who's the other person who's gonna come in the future who's gonna claim to be God? The Antichrist, right? And don't you ever wonder when you read that in the Bible like, man, how in the world can people believe that? Like when the Antichrist comes and he claims to be God, how is it that people are gonna be fooled? Well, like this. So he's testing it out. He's like, all right, let me put this idiot out there. Let me put the most stupid, most idiotic, annoying, let's put a rapper. Satan, who should we put? Get a rapper. Let's see if that works. A rapper? Yeah, because if they love the rapper, they'll love the Antichrist. Because the Antichrist is not gonna be a rapper. Okay? Put Kanye West out there and see what happens. And you know what? Hook, line, and sinker. People love it. Calling himself God, don't worry about it. Let's pray for him. And after a while it's gonna be, let's pray to him. So Kanye West is the blind lead in the blind because of the fact that he's basically preparing, conditioning people for a future Antichrist. The Antichrist who's gonna come and proclaim himself to be God as well. It's just a tool. That's what it is. Okay? Go back to Ecclesiastes, chapter number eight. And look, who cares how many Christians are backing each other up and backing Kanye West up? Though hand join in hand, they shall not be unpunished, the Bible says. They can agree on that as much as they want. It's not gonna help anything. Why do good things happen to bad people? Well, because God's blessings can have default settings. Good things can be a matter of chance. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, and he is also using them. So those first three are in relation to people who still have hope. These last three are in relation to people who have no hope, like Kanye West, okay? And this next point is gonna be very brief. Why do good things happen to bad people? Because we have a corrupt justice system, that's why. Okay, look at Ecclesiastes eight, verse nine. All this have I seen and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun. There is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt. And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. This is also vanity, because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily. Therefore, the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil, the Bible says. You know, when you don't execute these wicked people speedily, they just become more wicked, and more wicked. It's not God's fault, it's the stupid justice system's fault. The injustice criminal system's fault. Go to Psalm 73. Psalm 73. Why do good things happen to bad people? And here's the most important point of the sermon, okay? This is what I'm gonna finish off on. The reason good things happen to bad people is because their prosperity actually requires our faith. When we see them prosper, it's actually supposed to increase our faith. Why is that? Because look, at the end of the day, we know these people are gonna be destroyed. We know their end, right? We know what's gonna happen to them, but you know what? Their destruction may not happen in your lifetime. The destruction of God, the haters of God, the ones that you've been encountered with, the ones that you know, and the ones that know you, you may not see their destruction in your lifetime. But it's gonna come. You know what that requires? It requires faith. When God says vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord, I will repay, the Bible also says in Ecclesiastes that everything is beautiful in his time. That vengeance is beautiful, but it's only beautiful in his time. So he's not working according to our timetable. He's working according to his. And when we see wicked people prosper and good things happen to bad people, it should cause us to increase our faith, to say, you know what, Lord? I know, I know that one day you will judge these wicked people. I know that their destruction draweth nigh. I know, and you know what? And if it doesn't come in my lifetime, I still believe it no matter what. Look what the Bible says in Psalm 73. This is the prayer of Asaph. It says in verse number one, truly God is good to Israel. We're gonna read a lot of verses here. Even to such as are of a clean heart, but as for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps had well nigh slipped, for I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore, pride compasses them about as a chain. Violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness. They have more than heart could wish. What does this mean? It's talking about the good that's happening to the bad people, right? Verse eight, they are corrupt and speak wickedly concerning oppression. They speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens and their tongue walketh through the earth. They're blasphemers is what it's saying there. Therefore, his people return hither and waters of a full cup are rung out to them. And they said, how doth God know? And is there knowledge in the most high? Behold, these are the ungodly who prosper in the world. They increase in riches. Barely I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency. What is he doing? He's kind of having a pity party. He's like, man, I'm trying to live for God. I'm like cleaning up my life. Feels like it's in vain. Verse 14, for all the day long have I been plagued and chasing every morning. If I say I will speak thus, behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me. He's like, just thinking about this just puts me in a bad mood. Just kind of kills my day. Oh wait, verse 17, until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I there and. So you know what helps us to increase our faith? Coming to church. Because when you come to church, the preacher gets up, rips some face on these fags, rips some face on these reprobates, rips some face on Kanye West, and you know what, you're reminded. Oh yeah, that's right, they are going to hell. Thanks, Pastor Thompson, I forgot about that. These wicked people, these trolls, and these oneness heretics, and all these people who are prospering, man, I'm so mad, I'm such in a bad mood because of them and then Pastor Thompson says, hey, don't worry, they're gonna go to hell. Thanks, Pastor Thompson, I forgot about that. You're right, they are gonna go quick down into hell one day. Then I understood I therein, it says. You know what church is? It's just a weekly reminder, that's all it is. It's a weekly reminder of our destination and theirs. It's what it is. Because look, if you're working out in the secular world, you are in the world, right? Dealing with wicked people all the time, puts you in a bad mood, but you come to church. You come to church, you hear some good preaching, you sing some psalms, you sing some hymns, and you know what, then you remember. Then you understand the end. We come here not to understand the beginning, but to remember the end. That's what we're here for. Go to 2 Peter chapter three, and this will be the last portion of scripture. 2 Peter 3, nine is, we read this earlier, but this is a portion of scripture we like to use a lot when we talk about that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance, but we often neglect the first part of the verse where it says the Lord is not slack, concerning his promise, as some men count slackness. What is that talking about? Well, let's start at the beginning. All right, verse number three. It says, knowing this verse, that though shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts and saying, where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. And then we skip down to verse nine. Well, the Lord is not slack concerning his promise. As some men, who are the some men, the scoffers. As these men count for slackness, he's saying, look, I'm not slack, I'm not late on judgment. God is not late on his wrath. He just wants to see the people who are not beyond the hope of salvation, who can still be saved. He wants them to be saved. He's not slack concerning his promises. And you know what? These scoffers of today, their day is coming. Today is coming. So what is this sermon for? Well, this sermon is just your friendly reminder of God's judgment upon a wicked people who hate God. Don't worry, their time is coming. What if it doesn't come in my time? Well, it's okay, everything's beautiful in his time. But I wanna see it, you know, I wanna see my enemies and the enemies of God, I want them to see them. I wanna see them get theirs. Well, you know what? Just have faith. Just trust God. Rest in the Lord and threaten not thyself because of evildoers. Increase your faith to understand that you know what? You may not see it, but it will happen one day. This is why good things happen to bad people. Why? Because ultimately, bad people, they will receive the recompense, the reward of unrighteousness. Amen? Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer. Father, we thank you so much for your word. And Lord, thank you for the principles thereof. And I pray that you'd help us, Lord, to renew our minds. That when we see the wicked prosper, may we never be envious, may we never be frustrated or fret ourselves against the Lord because of it. May it increase our faith. May we trust in your word. May we be as ASAP that when we come to the sanctuary of God, we understand the end. And I pray, God, that you fill us with your power and your spirit to do so. Help us to long for and await the second coming of Christ. And may we look forward to that glorious day when the King of Kings comes to execute righteousness upon this earth. We love you so much, Lord, and we thank you, pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.