Paul challenges Timothy to focus like a soldier, train like an athlete, and work like a farmer. May the same be said of each one of us. 4/25/2010 Be the best prisoner you can be! He over and over again exhorts to it as the one means to the attainment of all Christian graces, and of all the blessedness of the Christian life. "My heavens, open by fire now, in the name of Jesus." Here are twenty practical principles from Proverbs to motivate you to work hard and avoid laziness. After I preach this sermon, the hearer should be able to Sloth is something we make jokes about, but few think of it as sin. But if you want to be sure that you are one of the called and chosen, work and you will get the assurance.' Far more important, diligence is a quality valued by our Creator Himself, and is one that can, when combined with the other virtues, prepare us to for eternity. Our salvation is based on grace, not works, Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee (Deuteronomy 6:17). God waited patiently, hoping for mankind to repent while Noah was building the ark (, God specifically worked with mankind for 120 years before sending the flood (. Every morning I try to get up at 6:00am to go to the gym to work out. If your wife is regularly wondering how the bills are going to be paid, and youre not taking initiative to lead, confess your failure in leadership and take control of your family finances. Eventually, you, Build Up a Defense Do Not Trust in Riches. gazed at Whistler's portrait of his mother. Be willing to push yourself. 'Giving all diligence, add to your faith ' -- 2 Peter i.5. The gospel is for all even simple people, and for such people, God issues this simple edict: Therefore, those who choose not to work (, A simple amount of judgment must be exercised by benefactors to determine if a person. (503) 644-9017. In the process, Peter shares in this chapter 7 attributes we grow in as we become more spiritually mature. Rather, find satisfaction in simply doing good work for God and men. Romans 16:12.Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Theme: Character development is not an important part of life?it IS life! Please see our News & Announcements for Recent Changes to our Meeting Times, Mark Dunagan A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly. Proverbs 26:16, He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit and he who looks after his master will be honored. Proverbs 27:18. 'Diligence' makes faith fruitful. He's not even taking care of the things he has, whereas a diligent man prizes everything that he has because he had to work to earn it. He, by the way, was a born again Christian. In the book of Nehemiah Gods people experienced the same drop in motivation when they were working on rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. Theyre known to dig their curved claws into a tree branch and hang without effort for hours-on-end; they are as unmotivated as they look! Maybe youve prayed and prayed, but the answer that you wanted hasnt come. We must not only press on all points, but we must endure, Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize No Dissipation, Mans life is of limited earthly span and resources. Thats what the sin nature does. Be sure you know the condition of your flocks. Hard work yesterday does not guarantee tomorrows success. III. Yet, if we pay attention, he will provide an opportunity to serve him every day in some way. Invest early and invest often. Powered by Congregate, Fifth Street church of Christ On the front, Jesus prayed for fruit, in the middle, He bore fruit afterwards he thanked God for fruit so work as if you were to live a hundred years, pray as if you were to die tomorrow. Part 3 Serve Like A Girl The lazy man always puts off for tomorrow. You may bear different fruit than you thought you would or even hoped for. Unity among God's people depends upon diligence: "Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" ( Ephesians 4:3 ). Earnestness is the sentiment, of which diligence is the expression. If you can put a task off for five more minutes, why not ten? "Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus", Copyright 2020 Keep Believing Ministries. Understand something. For riches do not endure forever and the crown is not secure for all generations. Proverbs 27:23. listen: description: (hide) If we have felt lethargic or indifferent about our calling, we have a desperate need to keep our heart with all diligence, to be strong in the Lord by donning the full armor of God, following the example of the Captain of our salvation. let him labor, working with his hands what is good, Galatians 6:9; Colossians 3:22-24; Ephesians 6:5-9, Colossians 3:24; Ephesians 6:8; I Corinthians 15:58, As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is, The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly., The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, but. Introduction Be honest with your employer about how much you work. (Would you be fired?) Peter's first letter shows that he believed that Christians were 'chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.' Poverty is the portion of the person who can work but is not willing to do so. God is over on the hard road. I. Bankruptcy, debtors prison, law suits, and a lifetime of forced labor await such people. Features Pricing Upload Sermon Get started for FREE. Truly, when you have diligence, you do have real power. First Baptist Church Harrisonville Missouri pastor, Josh Ancello's sermon on 2 Thessalonians 3 Hard Work & Diligence. 3. Independent/Bible. the account of Joseph in Genesis 39). A work ethic is a set of moral values or principles for determining what is right and wrong in our work. 2. Do not be deceived! If you must be driven to work, then something is seriously wrong. A wife and mother must work extremely hard. There is a middle ground between greed and laziness. Good, wise, saintly people may be industrious and wealthy without being greedy lovers of money. Or maybe you look at all the wickedness in the world, and you fear In all of life, every day you face a choice of going one of two ways. Nobody goes to heaven in his sleep. The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway. Proverbs 15:19, The laborers appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on. Proverbs 16:26 Although seductive pitfalls abound, which lure us into a denial of the consequences of laziness, the wise will grow in the knowledge of Gods Word, overcome, and diligently lead a life of commitment. Charismatic, Thesis: The writers of this ancient wisdom literature inspired by God try to convey the message to us of Dont be lazy be diligent! In other words Make a commitment to work hard at being all God wants you to be!, Series: Practical Proverbs Diligence is a virtue but when God is taken out of the picture, it becomes a liability characterized by vanity, sorrow, hard labour, restlessness, failure and poverty (Ps 127:1-2). Arise early! Young Women: DO NOT under any circumstances whatever you do, DO NOT marry a lazy man! Man is to seek God and His wisdom diligently: We are to study the Scriptures with great diligence: 2 Timothy 2:15, Elders are to rule diligently: 1 Timothy 5:12, We are to diligently strive for heaven: Hebrews 4:11; 6:11. #1567 Martin G. Collins Given 24-Oct-20; 70 minutes . Ask the Spirit to make you a hard worker for God.b. Remember how it turned out last time you endured. [Proverbs 22:29; 21:20; 24:27], 5. Part of the reason and joy of work is the ability to help others. If she has not proven her interest and determination through hard work in serving her parents in the past, her training at present, or her preparations for the future, then she will not work hard for you or your children! Thus we build it.. This is Labor Day Weekend, the weekend when everybody who can go somewhere goes somewhere so they can play for one last weekend because the real hard work of the last part of the year starts on Tuesday morning. Receive the gift of righteousness Ruth 2:1-23, It is an insult that is still used today on playgrounds across the globe. I. Other times, people feel they are working boring jobs that anybody can do. Dont work so much, however, that you need to re-introduce yourself to your family. The loving Christian will work not just for himself but for others: Noah built the ark, which saved him, but it also saved his family (. It says, Take a short cut. Noah would have been busy preaching, trying to persuade the lost. 'Raw haste' is 'half sister to delay.' read more, Scripture: After you read through these principles, take the time to go back through and look up the origin of each principle in the book of Proverbs. There must be fervour if there is to be growth. [Proverbs 3:9-10; 10:2; 11:18; 15:27; 16:8; 20:14; 28:8, 20], 7. But as the clock ticks away, the easy way becomes harder, and the hard way becomes easier. The Old Testament says, 'Seest thou a man diligent in his business, he shall stand before kings.' When haste degenerates into hurry, and becomes agitation, it is weakness, not strength; it turns out superficial work, which has usually to be pulled to pieces and done over again, and it is sure to be followed by reaction of languid idleness. Christian Missionary Alliance, The pursuit of godly character requires two things: (1) put God first, and (2) remove forces that erode Gods influence, Character Counts! Next time you tell yourself this lie and waste your valuable time, look in the mirror and decide who you are going to be. The more I study various virtues I am impressed that they are all interrelated. he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men (Proverbs 22:29). The immature, simple, or disinterested perform nothing more than they are obligated to do. We must build relationships, work heard, take care of our finances and health, and seek out a meaningful, intentional, purposeful and ongoing personal relationship with our Lord and Savior. "Every Pharaoh that is pursuing You will be rewarded. This sermon was gleamed out of many SermonCentral contributors and any part of it can be used because it is for Gods glory that we preach His Word. 09/18/11 Accordingly, we have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in order to comply with GDPR. Ruth 2:1-7. 1. The rest is history. Preached by Jimmy Seibert Expositions Of Holy Scripture Ephesians Peter. Gal.1: 4Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of Ephesians 6:1-9, Denomination: May 5, 2013 You have to get up every Lets pray together. Lazy people always have excuses. That is a warning to those of us who make our living speaking. Sloth He who gathers crops in the summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. Proverbs 10:4, As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him. Proverbs 10:26, He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment. Proverbs 12:11, From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things, as surely the work of his hands rewards him. Proverbs 12:14, Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor. Proverbs 12:24, The lazy man does not roast his game, but the diligent man prizes his possessions. Proverbs 12:27. very lovely Sign up for our newsletter: Sloths are mammals who move only when necessary and even then very slowly. This message continues our consideration of unhypocritical love as described in Romans 12. Good morning everyone, let me get your mind thinking- 11775 SW Fifth Street Now that you know what it is, name it. The most critical realm to exercise our work ethic is that of the spiritual. After over two years of being overlooked, toiling unduly, and suffering unjustly, he was promoted to second in the kingdom (, Even if you must labor in the prison (i.e., a lowly, boring job), work with diligence, zeal, and faithfulness, so that you exemplify the integrity of Christians. Diligence is hard work (Proverbs 12:24) 2. Do it. And the hard road looks hard but once you do the hard thing in life, it turns out to be the easy thing. read more, Scripture: God teaches us to trust in him and in his Son our Saviour. Free Sermons and Sermon Outlines for Preaching : More About Obedience And A Good Day's Work, Hard Work: Spiritual Growth Is Not An Accident. 1. Conscientious hard work and perseverance, particularly with regard to a relationship with God. Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of ding the hard work you already did (Newt Gingrich). Have you ever felt like complaining against the LORD? Introduction - An Example of Diligence; Noah may have worked up to 120 years constructing the ark! God wants us to be diligent in virtually every corner of our lives. We are told there was so much demanding activity, they did not even have time to eat (, Rest for the hard-working is deserved and needed, but the diligent know how to dig a little deeper to accomplish needed tasks or help those in need. I. I am struck with how much Proverbs has to say about hard work. Ligon Duncan All God Does Is Good From the editor. There are two reasons: A. Were born wanting to go the easy way. 1 Corinthians 15:58, Denomination: Many people move but are not diligent. Hard work yesterday has to be followed up with hard work today to guarantee tomorrows prosperity. He will not serve before obscure men.Proverbs 22:29. Use them. The heated bar of iron will go through the obstacle which the cold one will never penetrate. There is no leaving that task back at the office. Motherhood is one of the true full-time jobs. Take your best, educated guess. However, the answer is not always to play life completely safe. Diligence is working out one`s dreams (Proverbs 13:4) Dawn, noon & moon Take it easy. Let me show you a clip Laziness leaves one helpless to meet unexpected needs. Again, consider that God foretold a figurative army of locust, who were stinging, devouring, resistant, entitled, and yet they were of mankind. There is coming a day for each of us, if we live to see it, where we may be alive, but we will exert little to no influence on the world around us. Notice how Chuck . That is, the real power is not in a flashy start, but rather, true power is demonstrated in a continual movement towards completion. So he sold his restaurant and the motel and went into the chicken spice business. It is the way of staying in bed. Cascades Fellowship CRC, JX MI read more, Scripture: These simple commands elevate ones work to the status of moral obligation to our fellow man and the Lord. II Peter was written from prison during a time of intense persecution and a time of false teachings which condoned a virulent sexual permissiveness and moral relativity. Baptist. But for all that he is not a bit afraid of putting the other side of the truth, and saying to us in effect. [Proverbs 10:5; 15:19; 22:13; 26:13, 16], 2. CONSISTENCY IS HARD WORK . It is saying tomorrow. B. Work is our place of God's provision and a place of witness. Lord Jesus, Thank You for Your faithfulness. June 5, 2005 [Proverbs 21:2], 17. The only thing certain is that failure to try will always fail! Prayer- Evangelical/Non-Denominational. The easy way is the way of saying the boss isnt around, nobody is seeing me, it is good enough for government work. This is the man who makes silly excuses for not going to work. Romans 12:11 Like long ago, those who must exact this unpleasant judgment must employ the same attitude commended to the Israelites: Failure to work may ultimately lead to loss of fellowship with other saints, although such a one is to be admonished with love consistent for a brother, not an enemy (. Notice, it was, Again, Jesus suffering from thirst and hunger used His thirst as an occasion to reach a lost Samaritan (. We must gather ourselves together under the impulse of an all-pervading and noble earnestness, too deep to be demonstrative, and which does not waste itself in noise, but settles down steadily to work. Diligence is the key to avoiding such destructive thoughts, choices, and habits. Thank You for Your grace. Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready. Its the way of laziness, the way of the sluggard. Treat your work (house cleaning, school work, or whatever it is) as though you will reap a harvest from your labors. It is the homely virtue that leads to all success. Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (II Peter 1:1011). Trust God to overcome any bad habits youve developed regarding work and diligence.d. He that diligently seeketh good procureth favor: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him (Proverbs 11:27). The Divine gift, then, is everything that will help a man to live a high and godly life. Another of the phases of the virtue, which Peter here regards as sovereign, is represented in our translation of the word by 'earnestness,' which is the parent of diligence. When you are tempted to be lazy, seek the Spirits help in prayer and remind yourself what the Word of God teaches. Ruth 2:7She said, 'Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.' Even when he comes home from his day job, he will have the job of nurturing his children, maintaining a home, and serving his brethren. Thorns had come up everywhere. You can be sure that the lawyers on both sides vigorously We must believe and hope, as God has promised, that such efforts can accomplish worthwhile, even eternal good (. For the glory of God, take up the call to be diligent, remembering Gods provision for you. God tells us that anxious care and bitter sighing wont help. The only road that goes to the top is the hard road. INTRODUCTION: CHRISTIANS LIVING UNDER CORRUPT ROMAN RULE - We have been looking at the spiritual gifts of the Body of Christ in Romans 12: prophecy (speaking Gods Word to others), The foreknowledge of God, Take up the call to be followed up with hard (... 22:29 ) diligent hands will rule, but he who looks after master! Father. as the clock ticks away, the answer is not willing to do, if we pay,... 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