I have been reevaluating this phrase as a challenge. The day of full salvation, repose, and blessedness is near dawning. We live in a madcap world that work the whole night and sleep the whole day with no time for self or family. Our application has focused primarily on physical labor. Both exceptional and everyday experiences with the living Christ are good and necessary in accomplishing Gods work in and through us. There is a middle ground between greed and laziness. Good, wise, saintly people may be industrious and wealthy without being greedy lovers of money. He wants somebody to spoonfeed him. It may, however, be misguided. It is good to move with speed, but diligence is something more than mere movement or even quick movement. Ruth 2:7She said, 'Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.' The cross is Dont just sit there, dont just roll over, dont be a couch potato. But if you want to be sure that you are one of the called and chosen, work and you will get the assurance.' Pro 6:8 but they store up their food during the summer, getting ready for winter. B. Therefore, we must prepare early, so we will have time to handle unforeseen events. I. For the glory of God, take up the call to be diligent, remembering Gods provision for you. Proverbs 6:6-8, Proverbs 6:9-11. You will be honored because of your hard work. In the book of Nehemiah Gods people experienced the same drop in motivation when they were working on rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, Thus in Judah it was said, The strength of the burden bearers is failing, yet there is much rubbish; and we ourselves are unable to rebuild the wall (Nehemiah 4:10). 4/25/2010 It is the way of working with your hands. [Proverbs 11:29; 15:22, 32; 18:15, 22; 19:20; 21:16], 10. Copyright 2003-2023 | Outreach, Inc., All rights reserved. Amen. We sent you an email. For soon, the roles will be reversed. When we are most intent we are most silent. Paul had the right and authority to refuse physical labor among the Thessalonians. A key component of the godly work ethic is wisdom. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. We need to be hard workers. Every morning I try to get up at 6:00am to go to the gym to work out. #1567 Martin G. Collins Given 24-Oct-20; 70 minutes . B. Discuss with your family how you can hold one another accountable to be diligent workers for God and men. by Lyn Chaffart | May 7, 2016 | Dedication, Diligence, Motivation, Priorities. If we desire that upon our Christian lives there shall shine the perpetual sunshine of an unclouded confidence that we have the love and the favour of God, and that for us there is no condemnation, but only 'acceptance in the beloved,' the short road to it is the well-known and trite path of toil in the Christian life. It is the reason we enjoy electricity, modern medicine, technology, and all the other comforts of modern life. Do not get mired down in less important tasks, putting off the more immediately critical ones. If I am going to be faithful to the Lord in my service, I must be adequately prepared and the preparation is my responsibility. The same idea is seen when it comes to the quality of diligence. Pull some strings. 2. Here are some practical steps you can take: [Proverbs 12:24, 27; 31:27]. Do you see a man skilled in his work? God tells us that anxious care and bitter sighing wont help. An approved worker diligently studies the Word and seeks to apply it to Like drunkenness, laziness destroys the very thing required to curb it. Laziness leaves one helpless to meet unexpected needs. If you can put a task off for five more minutes, why not ten? If, on the other hand, we set ourselves to our tasks, then out of faith will come, as the blossoms mysteriously and miraculously do out of an apparently dead stump, virtue, manliness, and knowledge, and temperance, and patience, and godliness, and brotherly mindedness, and charity. The completed registration allows us to send order and donation receipts to the email address you provided. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat (Proverbs 23:13). (GNB), Scripture: Like a door that easily revolves and yet groans, so does the lazy man, easily rolling over in his bed, complaining of being tired, and easily returning to his slumber. "My heavens, open by fire now, in the name of Jesus." It is a homely virtue, but if in its homeliness we practised it, this Church and our own souls would wear a different face from what it and they do to-day. read more, Scripture: read more, Scripture: The lazy man always puts off for tomorrow. Here is what has helped me push through: Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017, Home | About Us | Sermons | Videos | Resources | Members | Contact Us He has just been saying that God has 'given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, and exceeding great and precious promises.' Diligence in Hinduism "Who so performeth - diligent, content - the work allotted him, whatever it be, lays hold of perfectness!"-The Bhagavad Gita 18:45. Outline: 1. Hebrews 10:26-39, Habakkuk 1, Habakkuk 2:2-4. After I preach this sermon, the hearer should be able to Deliverance from this present evil age. Receive the gift of righteousness Rather, find satisfaction in simply doing good work for God and men. There are other verses in there that apply to the whole topic of hard work. Register. It is the way of saying it doesnt matter whether I work today or not, it doesnt matter what time I show up at work, it doesnt matter if I check out of here a few minutes early. That is the word of God. About | . Ask God to give you opportunities to become a hard worker, and then look for Him to answer in every realm of your life (home, work, school, ministry, etc.). It will release you into your divine destiny and will become a positive memorial in your life. Luke 5:1-3. read more, Scripture: Lazy people often assume that others owe them a handout (whether theyve worked hard or not). What an incredibly powerful quality long term diligence can be in our lives, because obviously: Samuel Johnson was spot on when he observed, Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance. Again, consider that God foretold a figurative army of locust, who were stinging, devouring, resistant, entitled, and yet they were of mankind. You can be sure that the lawyers on both sides vigorously What is it that you know you need to do this week that is undone in your life? Nehemiah 4:16-23, when we serve God with all our heart through serving the Man of God we selflessly help to push the Kingdom Agenda, May the peace of the Lord be with you. The call to hard work is a call to truly purposeful living. Thorns had come up everywhere. (Proverbs 4:20-27) Go to the ant, you sluggard! read more, Scripture: It will take you less than three seconds to answer that question. The last of the fields in which this virtue finds exercise is expressed by our letter, when Peter says, 'Seeing that we look for such things, let us be diligent, that we may be found of Him in peace without spot, and blameless.' May our observable work ethic open doors unto Bible study and conversion rather than close them. God wants us to be diligent in virtually every corner of our lives. Few things are more frustrating than a forced dependency upon a lazy man, because once that dependency is established there is nothing you can do but regret the relationship. Our American cultures strong sense of work ethic can be traced to our countrys religious roots (Tocqueville, Franklin, Adam Smith, Max Weber), which was previously supported by education and the arts. Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds (Proverbs 27:23). Proverbs 13:4. read more, Scripture: There is a world out there. Go out to the cemetery. Inevitably, the lazy man will have to borrow to provide what he needs or wants. He was just successful locally. Proverbs 13:4 says, "The soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing, but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. Find stories, quotes, humor, and statistics to bring your sermon on Work to life. 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. In more modern times, Ernest Hemingway warned, Never mistake motion for action. Wheres the fire? In Scripture diligence is highly commended. We werent in any hurry, and soon it was past lunch time. It is the word employed to describe the murderous hurry with which Herodias came rushing in to the king to demand John the Baptist's head. 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. When you are tempted to be lazy, seek the Spirits help in prayer and remind yourself what the Word of God teaches. And the very reason for exercising it is the completeness of God's gift. Nehemiah 4:16-23 It is the homely virtue that leads to all success. Slow down, man. Thats the way our society is going today. Dont work too hard. Dont work only in order to receive. Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:2324). He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, but he who searches after evil, it will come to him (Proverbs 11:27). How Maybe youve prayed and prayed, but the answer that you wanted hasnt come. read more, Scripture: 'Wherefore, giving all haste, add to your faith.'. The attorneys on both sides have laid out their case for the jury to make a decision. A wife and mother must work extremely hard. We must choose to obey God rather than people. Consider its ways and be wise. A. For myself personally, I have found that the middle of any project can rather be the difficult part, especially if I look up and around with the dreaded realization, I am not even half done yet. Introduction- Now as to the homely virtue itself, 'giving all diligence.'. He will serve before kings. Here is the solution to the problem. Cascades Fellowship CRC, JX MI It is called The Hard Way. It is comparatively easy to prosper by trickery, the violation of confidence, oppression of the weak, sharp practices, cutting corners, all those methods we are so prone to pileate and condone as business shrewdness. [Proverbs 12:11, 14b; 28:19], 6. "Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus", Copyright 2020 Keep Believing Ministries. For example, kindness, patience, endurance and self-control are all found in the definition of love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). The easy way is saying take it easy, slow down, back off, dont have a heart attack. God turns our weakness into incredible strength. Be skilled in what excites you in life, because once you have determined what it is that God has gifted you to do, if you will become skilled at it, you will not serve before obscure men. [Proverbs 16:26; 19:14; 21:5; 26:15], 11. For example, a weary Jesus, beleaguered by constant preaching, teaching, serving, and badgering, once retired to a deserted place with his apostles, so they could rest. There is no substitute for the goodness a godly mother brings. 'Diligence' is the panacea for all diseases of the Christian life. Thats a picture of the man who goes out hunting and he captures his prey, but because he is lazy, he doesnt even bother to roast it. 'Now is the accepted time.' May God help us to let our light shine this week by going from this place and doing hard work for the glory of god. HARD WORK: Spiritual Growth is Not an Accident July 5, 2009 There is a great seduction in the question, What will a little sleep hurt?. Diligence and Readiness in the Work Perhaps another position would provide greater harmony in your home. We do not expect fine-spun counsels from a teacher whose natural bent is, like his, but plain, sturdy, common sense, directed to the highest matter, and set aglow by fervent love to his Lord. Title: Drama and Diligence I was talking to a man who was a contractor and years ago a father of his friend took him aside and warned him about going out and buying the new truck and all the new equipment just so he could look "successful and established". Powered by Congregate, Fifth Street church of Christ This message continues our consideration of unhypocritical love as described in Romans 12. The ground was covered with weeds and the stone wall was in ruins. It may, however, be misguided. Schedule it. When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. It is funny how we think God should work. Plan it. 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. Anywhere. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, Denomination: Ask God to grant His blessing and favor in your work (cf. Beaverton, Oregon 97005 *other. However, Like a Girl Prepare in spring, summer, and fall for winters great need! Take your best, educated guess. 52-week preaching calendar to help you plan your sermons, Customizable sermon manuscripts for verse-by-verse preaching, Preach with creativity and impact throughout the year, [NEW YEAR] 4-Week Series to kick off 2023, [PRODUCTIVITY] Fulfill your full potential, [FOUNDATIONS] Getting back to what matters most. 2 Timothy 2:1-10, THE CENTRALITY OF THE CROSS The key in working out is consistency. Certain tasks must be accomplished first. So many Christians just while away the hours, looking at the flowers, consulting with the rain. Allowed HTML tags: