Thanks for your interest! Please contact our webmaster for questions or comments concerning this Web site. Beaverton, Oregon 97005 It is a very lowly virtue. [Proverbs 13:4], 14. The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. Proverbs 13:4, All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23. Acts 9:1-22. Find stories, quotes, humor, and statistics to bring your sermon on Work to life. There is a middle ground between greed and laziness. Good, wise, saintly people may be industrious and wealthy without being greedy lovers of money. "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 3:23-24). These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up (Deuteronomy 6:67). Again we come to the more familiar translation of the word as in the text. In this case, laziness detaches us from the world and the consequences of our unmet obligations. very lovely Sign up for our newsletter: Ruth 2:7She said, 'Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.' Congregational. Security promotes productivity 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. Find stories, quotes, humor, and statistics to bring your sermon on Diligence to life. "My heavens, open by fire now, in the name of Jesus." There are two reasons: A. Sign in Diligence. They came not from the north, south, east, or west, but from a bottomless pit in the very ground underneath the nation being punished and destroyed (. 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. Pro 6:7 They have no leader, chief, or ruler, We sent you an email. Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds (Proverbs 27:23). Go on a journey. Bryan Wilkerson The Job Introduction. Ask God to grant His blessing and favor in your work (cf. She is still an immature girl! Attitude and diligence makes the difference. God is calling all of us to the hard road. 'Diligence' makes faith fruitful. 'If that servant begin to say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and to be slothful, and to eat and drink with the drunken, the lord of that servant will come in an hour when he is not aware.' 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). Break down the project into smaller, more manageable portions. Many of you have Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, and. You're Preaching, But Do You Know Who's Listening? We should have a thankful and helpful disposition for our labor and during it, described as goodwill in the above passage (see also. That is a warning to those of us who make our living speaking. We do not know. Thus, the first notion in the word is haste, which crowds every moment with continuous effort, and lets no hindrances entangle the feet of the runner. God honors hard workers by crowning them with his personal blessing. This means to take pains, to strive for something. Use them. "Every Pharaoh that is pursuing Romans 16:12, Denomination: God's Breath Publications: http://www.godsbreathpublications.com/ "The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied." Proverbs 13:4 "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty." Proverbs 14:23 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). It is employed, for instance, to describe the eager swiftness with which the Virgin went to Elizabeth after the angel's salutation and annunciation. read more, Scripture: Like brute beasts that understand nothing more than pain and satisfaction, such people work only because they must work to survive. One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys. Proverbs 18:9, The sluggard buries his hand in the dish. Thats what the sin nature does. However, hard work is a universal and general burden, which we all must bear and overcome (. This message continues our consideration of unhypocritical love as described in Romans 12. God's will for the human spirit is that it would never suffer entropy. Dont work only in order to receive. Diligence makes God's gifts ours. Of one fellow-worker, Paul said, And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found, The more I study various virtues I am impressed that they are all interrelated. We drove through that little town, looking for a fast food place. Romans 12:11 Wisdom advises where and how to invest ones work energies. Always be faithful on your duty post until the job is done. 4/25/2010 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. How many days and weekends off? [Proverbs 3:9-10; 10:2; 11:18; 15:27; 16:8; 20:14; 28:8, 20], 7. Go to the ant, you sluggard! Do something with the life that God gave you Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might. Such moral values drive our goals, efforts, and means of work. We all know what 'diligence' means, but it is worth while to point out that the original meaning of the word is not so much diligence as haste. The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious (Proverbs 12:27). read more, Scripture: Romans 12, Romans 12:11, Ezekiel 16:49, Denomination: II. A man who is empty-handed, but diligent, possesses more than a lazy man with both hands full. Hard work is a Christian virtue. On the other hand, 'who is that faithful servant whom his lord hath set ruler over his household? The cross is A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers. Proverbs 17:2. The call to hard work is a call to truly purposeful living. We need to be hard workers. The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance! Samuel Johnson was spot on when he observed. Thank You for Your abundance. Do hard jobs first and easier jobs second; then you can have fun. Joshua 10:6-15, Judges 11:1, Judges 11:1, Denomination: Do not be deceived! May the same be said of each one of us. Log In 2 Peter 1:1-11, Denomination: It is not talent, effort, or programs, it is a lack of consistency. God is a worker God is a worker. We have been looking at the spiritual gifts of the Body of Christ in Romans 12: prophecy (speaking Gods Word to others), He wants somebody to spoonfeed him. If you want to be a strong Christian -- that is to say, a happy man -- you must bend your back to the work and 'give all diligence.' There is no substitute for the goodness a godly mother brings. Thank You for Your grace. Discontentment will get us nowhere, but only humble trust and steadfast faith. Just start somewhere. In Scripture diligence is highly commended. If you find yourself dating or even engaged to such a person, then like those who stumble upon a Plutonium-239 core, disengage carefully, raise your shields, and head for the hills, because you dont want to be anywhere nearby when that bomb self-destructs! [Proverbs 14:23; 20:17; 22:16; 30:8-9], 8. Joshua was given a task that was God sized and with God's help He was able to do extra-ordinary things. We also need to work hard spiritually. Yet, if we pay attention, he will provide an opportunity to serve him every day in some way. The true difficulties of this life are more often rooted in our desire to overcome, or lack thereof. Five characteristics of Difference Makers in this world. Remember how it turned out last time you endured. All the while the game of life is being played all around us and we are sitting on the bench, sound asleep. I am not calling on you to work 70 or 80 or 90 or100 hours a week. Lazy people genuinely feel tired! The Christians reward, hope, and faith in his work is two fold: First, there is a personal reward that comes from the Lord in obeying and glorifying Him (. It is the word with which the Apostle, left solitary in his prison, besought his sole trusty companion Timothy to 'make haste so as to come to him before winter.' Title: Drama and Diligence Text: Acts 9:1-22 Thesis: Both the exceptional and the everyday experiences with the living Christ are valid and necessary in accomplishing God's work in and through our lives. Features Pricing Upload Sermon Get started for FREE. 2 Peter chapter 1 instructs us to live a diligent faith, one which continues to grow from the time we accept Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. In 1956, 16 years later, he was successful, but he was not known. Let us then look, first, at the homely excellence that is the master-key to all Christian maturity and grace, and then at the various fields in which we are to apply it. Like The Tortoise and The Hare story, a person born with less advantages, or fewer talents, with diligence can overtake or out-perform those who were given more. Dont sit on the sidelines. Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which. Lazy people often assume that others owe them a handout (whether theyve worked hard or not). These simple commands elevate ones work to the status of moral obligation to our fellow man and the Lord. HARD WORK: Spiritual Growth is Not an Accident July 5, 2009 The engine that is giving off its steam in white puffs is not working at its full power. (Would you be fired?) Everyone has difficulties in life and work. The most critical realm to exercise our work ethic is that of the spiritual. Unity among Gods people depends upon diligence: Preachers are to be diligent in reminding Gods people of His truth (2 Peter 1:15). As you may be aware, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into full effect on 25th May 2018. 2023 Grace to You. God wants us to be diligent in virtually every corner of our lives. 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 God gave you two feet. Thats American society today. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). Dont just sit there, dont just roll over, dont be a couch potato. The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness (Proverbs 21:5). All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing.Proverbs 21:25, The sluggard says, Theres a lion outside or Ill be murdered in the streets Proverbs 22:13. The more you sleep, the harder it will be to wake up from this way of life. The phrase implies that diligence is our contribution. 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. . The Pattern for Life and Love -- Diligence Copyright 2003-2023 | Outreach, Inc., All rights reserved. Many people move but are not diligent. But with this caution against spurious haste, we cannot too seriously lay to heart the solemn motives to wise and well-directed haste. The centre of Gods purpose for us. Other times, people feel they are working boring jobs that anybody can do. supplying to restaurants. Sloth John Ortberg is a master communicator, whether through preaching or through writing. However, Like a Girl The Lord will do special things through this message. For the glory of God, take up the call to be diligent, remembering Gods provision for you. Therefore, Christian diligence gives its best all the time, even when no man is looking. 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. Emulate Ruth's godly characteristics. There are those in He took me home with him for a festive meal, but his eyes feasted on me!" (Song 2:3-4 The Message)I recently had the opportunity to read through a personal testimony that I . Hes 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. Strive for a healthy balance between your work and your family life. Prudent direction and management of these resources increases our likelihood for success. Back in 1940 a man named Harlan Sanders was in Corbin, KY and he bought this old dilapidated restaurant and built a motel which was very advanced for that day. Proverbs 13:4 says, "The soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing, but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. Many people move but are not diligent. Get in it. This is the man who makes silly excuses for not going to work. (Great for Labor Day), Scripture: In Scripture diligence is highly commended. After clicking 'Register', you will receive an email with a link to verify your account and to complete your registration. But, only the diligent will succeed. III. The easy way is the way of saying the boss isnt around, nobody is seeing me, it is good enough for government work. How much time off? The fact that God calls what he does work and calls it good means that work must be significant, that it must have intrinsic value. If you are a lazy person, or if you tend toward laziness in certain areas of your life, confess your sin to God. Again, the lazy man will have his reason to justify his laziness. Take it easy. The Old Testament says, 'Seest thou a man diligent in his business, he shall stand before kings.' Perhaps another position would provide greater harmony in your home. (GNB), Scripture: He is still an immature boy! Features Pricing Upload Sermon Get started for FREE. Nehemiah 4:16-23 read more, Scripture: 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. 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). Hard work yesterday does not guarantee tomorrows success. I want to say just a couple of things as we get ready to walk into his A woman of keen mind and understanding heart Parents are admonished to be diligent in instructing (Deuteronomy 6:7) and disciplining their children (Proverbs 13:24). In the process, Peter shares in this chapter 7 attributes we grow in as we become more spiritually mature. During the Season of Easter we For example, kindness, patience, endurance and self-control are all found in the definition of love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). (Proverbs 4:20-27) The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty (Proverbs 21:5). Do you see a man skilled in his work? God wants us to be diligent in virtually every corner of our lives. Earnestness is the sentiment, of which diligence is the expression. You shall not consent to him or listen to him, Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. Young people may feel like they have given their. If you fail to persuade someone of their laziness, then recognize the signs, back away carefully, and move on (, Some of the lazy mans excuses may be legitimate, in that they represent true or probable difficulties. The same idea is seen when it comes to the quality of diligence. Acts 6:5-7, Denomination: Every morning I try to get up at 6:00am to go to the gym to work out. He just rolls over and puts the pillow over his head and doesnt get up in the morning. The Divine gift, then, is everything that will help a man to live a high and godly life. Through His Son, Jesus Christ, God graciously provides believers with . A work ethic is a set of moral values or principles for determining what is right and wrong in our work. When the hay is removed and new growth appeared and the grass from the hills is gathered in, what will happen when the harvest does come in? 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: read more, Scripture: Noah would have been reduced to using much simpler technology (no power tools maybe no metal tools). Dedicate part of your profit and increase to helping others, and thereby avoid the cruel descent into oppression and destructive desire for wealth at all costs. Therefore, we must prepare early, so we will have time to handle unforeseen events. Good morning everyone, let me get your mind thinking- Its not what job do you want me to do, but how many benefits can I get? He was just successful locally. Ask the Spirit to make you a hard worker for God. So, I have challenged Create your own incentives. The hard road looks difficult and daunting. The Apostle uses a very remarkable expression here, which is rendered in our Bible imperfectly 'giving all diligence.' Stay awake and you will have food to spare. Proverbs 20:13, The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. Proverbs 21:5, He who loves pleasure will become poor. 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. It is the way of getting up early and staying up late. Here are twenty practical principles from Proverbs to motivate you to work hard and avoid laziness. Ephesians 6:1-9, Denomination: Diligence is being good at your business (Proverbs 22:29) 4. Then, again, the Apostle gives an even more remarkable view of the possible field for this all-powerful diligence when he bids his readers exercise it in order to 'make their calling and election sure.' Why, because he was not worth it? Seest thou a man diligent in his business? Part 3 Serve Like A Girl We were on vacation a few weeks ago. Understand something. 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. I am talking today of working hard for the Lord! We came through Knoxville and got on I-75 heading toward Lexington and Cincinnati. read more, Scripture: Hard Work and Providence Sign up to join over 20,000 subscribers receiving our weekly sermon email. Suppose someone were to show up at your workplace tomorrow, shove a microphone in your face, and ask, "How do you think your work affects One of the most talked-about shows on television today is called, The Office. Still further, one of the other writers of the New Testament gives us another field in which this virtue may expatiate, when the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews exhorts to diligence, in order to attain 'the full assurance of hope.' First Baptist Church Harrisonville Missouri pastor, Josh Ancello's sermon on 2 Thessalonians 3 Hard Work & Diligence. (Plowing in winter would be neither fun nor easy.). The Book of Proverbs records many warnings against slothfulness, and throughout Scripture we find instructions to live with diligence. It is a sign of increasing godliness. Here are some practical steps you can take: [ Proverbs 12:24, 27; 31:27] a. I. Thank You that You are doing above and beyond what we could ask or Try to stand up right when the alarm clock goes off. Love what you do as a vocation, regardless of what it is. The next time you go to Kentucky Fried Chicken, remember that those thousands of restaurants all over America and now all over the world were started by a man who at the age of 66 decided that he was not going to go the easy way. Why do I fail to overcome destructive habits? (For example, we may be diligent in service to needy saints but fail to stand for Gods truth and resist spiritual compromise , Such diligence will be in vain if we give up and quit before we finish. Please see our News & Announcements for Recent Changes to our Meeting Times, Mark Dunagan Eventually, you, Build Up a Defense Do Not Trust in Riches. Hard work is Gods work when you are doing what God wants you to do. If you can put a task off for five more minutes, why not ten? Accept the fact that while work is supposed to be work, yet inside this work resides numerous opportunities of which I would not otherwise be able to utilize. You may bear different fruit than you thought you would or even hoped for. Money is not inherently evil. Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of ding the hard work you already did (Newt Gingrich). The heated bar of iron will go through the obstacle which the cold one will never penetrate. It seems to me very like Peter that there should be so much in this letter about the very commonplace and familiar excellence of diligence. Wheres the fire? I am calling on you not to let life pass you by. Text: Acts 9:1-22 I am talking today of working hard for the Lord! B. Have you ever wondered if God made the perfect person for you? God is over on the hard road. The more I study various virtues I am impressed that they are all interrelated. The "sluggard" is one who is habitually inactive or lazy. It is a great thing to be convinced of this, that there are no mysteries about the conditions of healthy Christian living, but that precisely the same qualities which lead to victory in any career to which a man sets himself do so in this; that, on the one hand, we shall never fail if in earnest and saving the crumbs of moments, we give ourselves to the work of Christian growth; and that on the other hand, no fine emotions, no select moments of rapture and communion will ever avail to take the place of the dogged perseverance and prosaic hard work which wins in all other fields; and wins, and is the only thing that does win, in this one too. Diligence is the opposite of slothfulness.It is the dedicated fervency God calls us to invest in each task that we perform. Increased knowledge. Day 5 of 40 days of fasting! Pro 6:8 but they store up their food during the summer, getting ready for winter. These things have their limited place in the life of the mature, hard working adult; however, they are quickly outgrown, and they must often be sacrificed even completely when the need arises. Certain tasks must be accomplished first. as Christian men should, whilst it is called to-day. We werent in any hurry, and soon it was past lunch time. Truly, when you have diligence, you do have real power. I close this sermon with several conclusions. Outline: 1. The Office gives us a glimpse into the cubicles and . There is a world out there. Centuries ago others illustrated the same concept with the adages, Dripping water hollows a stone, or Drop upon drop collected will make a river. Sadly, such analogies often insult the beast (. The night of weeping, the night of toil, is nearly past. It is tough, but it is the only one that goes where you want to go with your life. . But if you want to be sure that you are one of the called and chosen, work and you will get the assurance.' Independent/Bible. If you travel too much (according to your wifes/familys honest, loving assessment), seek to curb your travel, if possible. Whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich.Proverbs 21:17, The sluggards craving will be the death of him because his hands refuse to work. read more, Scripture: It can be worse than you think, and it can get worse than that! 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. They too are a gift from God, but they are meant to be a reward for hard work and preparation for more hard work. I have often found myself mentally hitting the wall so to speak, being at the point I pondered just giving up, thinking I was at the breaking point. Inevitably, the lazy man will have to borrow to provide what he needs or wants. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat (Proverbs 23:13). Understand that frequently you are not going to receive encouragement or applause for getting started. Please be aware that these items are sent out from our office in the UK. Proverbs 6:9-11, Denomination: Thesis: Both the exceptional and the everyday experiences with the living Christ are valid and necessary in accomplishing Gods work in and through our lives. 'Now is the accepted time.' 3. Little progress will be made if we do not work as feeling that 'the night is far spent, the day is at hand,' or as feeling the apparently opposite but really identical conviction, 'I must work the works of Him that sent me while it is day. read more, Scripture: God gave you two hands. Accordingly, we have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in order to comply with GDPR. I have been reevaluating this phrase as a challenge. 5And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and read more, Scripture: The desire of the lazy man kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. Read, re-read, and even memorize the proverbs that pertain to both laziness and work. Often people feel hindered at the start of something, and they dont know where to begin. An approved worker diligently studies the Word and seeks to apply it to 1. That is your moment of truth, when you cast off laziness and embrace diligence! You're Preaching, But Do You Know Who's Listening? 'To-morrow and to-morrow' is the opiate with which sluggards and cowards set conscience asleep, and as each to-morrow becomes to-day it proves as empty of effort as its predecessors, and, when it has become yesterday, it adds one more to the solemn company of wasted opportunities which wait for a man at the bar of God.