Idleness
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I. Introduction: Consider some synonyms of the term idleness: “laziness, indolence, slothfulness, sloth, shiftlessness, inertia, sluggishness, lethargy, languor, torpidity, torpor; remissness, negligence, slackness, laxity” (New Oxford American Dictionary).
A. We sing songs that say: “I want to be a worker for the Lord…” (page 13), “We’ll work till Jesus comes…” (page 34), and “Work, for the night is coming…” (page 40).
- Do you understand the words you speak when you sing them (Psalms 47:7 and I Corinthians 14:15)?
- Do you mean it when you sing it (Matthew 12:36 and Colossians 3:9)?
- We are all aware, and would do well to remind ourselves of, what faith without works equates to (James 2:14-26).
- Ponder the terminology in the statements “work of faith” and “labor of love” (I Thessalonians 1:1-3).
II. Body: That Ye Be Not Slothful (Hebrews 4:14-6:12).
A. Rather than being slothful (Proverbs 18:9), we are to be fervent; zealous (Romans 12:11).
- Zeal can be dangerous if uninformed or misinformed (Acts 18:24-28 and Romans 10:1-3).
- Godly zeal is in GOOD WORKS (Titus 2:11-14).
- Good works are born and carried out through learned application of the Scriptures (II Timothy 3:14-17).
- Good works are also brought about through the work of the saints (Hebrews 10:24-25).
- In Christ, we are supposed to be fruitful people (Ephesians 2:10 and Colossians 1:10).
- Until we enter into our rest, we’re not done (Hebrews 3:13-4:11).
- Lazy people often have excuses as to why they don’t do their duties (Proverbs 20:4, Proverbs 22:13, and Proverbs 26:13-16).
- God’s answer to the laziness of man is… (Proverbs 6:6-11, Proverbs 10:4-5, Proverbs 12:27, Proverbs 21:25, Proverbs 24:30-34, and II Thessalonians 3:6-15).
III. Conclusion: Matthew 25:14-30
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