WEBVTT 00:00:01.960 --> 00:00:05.940 as we continue our study in God's wisdom for 00:00:05.940 --> 00:00:10.859 our world. Today talking about living with diligence. 00:00:12.560 --> 00:00:15.640 I'm going to ask you to open your Bible to Proverbs, 00:00:18.179 --> 00:00:24.440 the 12th chapter. Thank you worship team so magnificently 00:00:24.440 --> 00:00:30.879 leading us in worship this morning. Proverbs 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:40.840 chapter 12, I'll read verses 24 and 27. Diligent 00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:45.179 hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor. 00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:49.700 The lazy man does not roast his game, but the 00:00:49.700 --> 00:00:54.340 diligent man prizes his possessions. Then chapter 00:00:54.340 --> 00:00:58.479 13 and verse 4. The sluggard craves and gets 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:01.780 nothing. but the desires of the diligent are 00:01:01.780 --> 00:01:05.980 fully satisfied. I remember my first meeting 00:01:05.980 --> 00:01:10.579 with a slug. I had always thought the slugs were 00:01:10.579 --> 00:01:16.579 cousins of snipes. Until one occasion as a young 00:01:16.579 --> 00:01:19.739 man I was walking along a pathway in northwestern 00:01:19.739 --> 00:01:24.219 Washington at a youth camp one evening when my 00:01:24.219 --> 00:01:27.590 foot slid out from underneath me. And I looked 00:01:27.590 --> 00:01:30.469 down to see what I had stepped on and realized 00:01:30.469 --> 00:01:35.310 I had stepped on a slug. For the first time I 00:01:35.310 --> 00:01:41.370 saw a small mollusk that does not have a shell 00:01:41.370 --> 00:01:45.849 or at least an external one. And because of that, 00:01:45.870 --> 00:01:48.609 when they are stepped on, they do make a mess. 00:01:49.969 --> 00:01:53.909 Slugs are noted for moving very slowly. They 00:01:53.909 --> 00:01:57.900 are related to the land snail. It is from that 00:01:57.900 --> 00:02:00.280 picture of the slug that we get our English word, 00:02:00.500 --> 00:02:05.239 the sluggard. The word sluggard comes from a 00:02:05.239 --> 00:02:09.039 Middle English origin, a word that is pronounced 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:13.199 sluggy, and was used in that day of one who was 00:02:13.199 --> 00:02:17.319 slow and clumsy. And so a sluggard is one who 00:02:17.319 --> 00:02:23.879 is habitually lazy, slothful, and inactive. Proverbs 00:02:23.879 --> 00:02:28.259 gives us several snapshots of sluggards and in 00:02:28.259 --> 00:02:31.479 all of them there is a certain poking of fun, 00:02:31.780 --> 00:02:36.319 a ridiculing of the one who is a sluggard. For 00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:40.719 example, look in chapter 20 and verse 4 of Proverbs 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:44.500 where it says, a sluggard does not plow in season, 00:02:45.219 --> 00:02:48.759 so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing. 00:02:50.090 --> 00:02:52.569 So you see the man that goes out to his fields 00:02:52.569 --> 00:02:55.469 at harvest time and expecting to find there some 00:02:55.469 --> 00:02:59.349 crops and then realizes that he forgot to plow 00:02:59.349 --> 00:03:01.750 in the spring and plant and take care of the 00:03:01.750 --> 00:03:06.710 crop. He was too lazy to plow and therefore there's 00:03:06.710 --> 00:03:12.050 nothing in his field. Chapter 21, verses 25 and 00:03:12.050 --> 00:03:15.490 26. The sluggard's craving will be the death 00:03:15.490 --> 00:03:21.909 of him. because his hands refuse to work. All 00:03:21.909 --> 00:03:25.210 day long he craves for more, but the righteous 00:03:25.210 --> 00:03:31.550 give without sparing. It reminds me of the farmer 00:03:31.550 --> 00:03:34.969 who put up a sign at the entrance of his pasture 00:03:34.969 --> 00:03:37.550 that said, hunters, please don't shoot anything 00:03:37.550 --> 00:03:41.050 on my place that isn't moving. It might be my 00:03:41.050 --> 00:03:45.849 hard hand. The sluggard's craving will be the 00:03:45.849 --> 00:03:51.159 death of him. His hands refuse to work. He expects 00:03:51.159 --> 00:03:54.620 others to do his work for him and then to care 00:03:54.620 --> 00:03:57.520 for his needs. What we have here is the heart 00:03:57.520 --> 00:04:02.580 of a welfare society. In chapter 26, we have 00:04:02.580 --> 00:04:05.379 additional pictures. Verse 13, the sluggard says, 00:04:05.560 --> 00:04:08.259 there's a lion in the road. A fierce lion is 00:04:08.259 --> 00:04:12.780 roaming in the streets. Was there really? No. 00:04:13.800 --> 00:04:16.019 But the sluggard didn't want to do his work. 00:04:16.439 --> 00:04:20.779 And so he thought of an excuse, however far -fetched 00:04:20.779 --> 00:04:25.339 it might be. There was a farmer whose barn had 00:04:25.339 --> 00:04:27.819 fallen down, and a man came by and asked him 00:04:27.819 --> 00:04:31.040 what happened. And he said, well, it rained and 00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:34.560 just collapsed. He said, why didn't you do something 00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:37.420 to strengthen your barn before it rained so hard? 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:40.819 The farmer said, well, I thought about it, but 00:04:40.819 --> 00:04:43.360 I never did get around to it. When the weather 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:46.319 was good, There weren't no need for it, and when 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:50.379 it rained it was too wet to work on. The sluggard 00:04:50.379 --> 00:04:55.180 always has a reason why the work isn't done. 00:04:56.980 --> 00:05:02.000 Verse 14. As a door turns on its hinges, so a 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:04.980 sluggard turns on his bed. Can you see him there? 00:05:05.519 --> 00:05:08.279 His nail to his bed, flopping back and forth, 00:05:08.360 --> 00:05:11.000 back and forth. It's time to get up. I'm getting 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:16.300 up. And he turns over. The story is told about 00:05:16.300 --> 00:05:18.100 a sailor who was in a good mood one day and went 00:05:18.100 --> 00:05:20.800 into his barracks and said, I'll give a dollar 00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:24.920 to the laziest man here. And all the men jumped 00:05:24.920 --> 00:05:28.019 up except for one man who just laid on his bed. 00:05:28.040 --> 00:05:31.540 He was a Texan. And he drawled out, just rolled 00:05:31.540 --> 00:05:35.240 me over and slip it in my pocket. He got the 00:05:35.240 --> 00:05:41.399 dollar. Look at the next verse. The sluggard 00:05:41.399 --> 00:05:45.180 buries his hand in the dish. he is too lazy to 00:05:45.180 --> 00:05:49.740 bring it back to his mouth. He's eating nachos. 00:05:50.439 --> 00:05:52.839 And he dips that corn chip down in that cheese, 00:05:52.860 --> 00:05:55.459 but he just can't get it back to his mouth to 00:05:55.459 --> 00:06:00.220 save his life. He just can't. He's like the guy 00:06:00.220 --> 00:06:02.240 who thinks it's too much trouble to make coffee, 00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:04.600 and so he sprinkles instant coffee crystals on 00:06:04.600 --> 00:06:10.019 his mustache and then sips the water. The next 00:06:10.019 --> 00:06:13.620 verse. The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes 00:06:13.870 --> 00:06:19.089 than seven men who answer discreetly. He's always 00:06:19.089 --> 00:06:22.089 got an answer. There's always an argument as 00:06:22.089 --> 00:06:25.310 to why this can happen or why that can't happen. 00:06:26.509 --> 00:06:30.370 A sluggard went to see his doctor, and he said, 00:06:30.389 --> 00:06:34.129 Doctor, now that you've examined me, tell me 00:06:34.129 --> 00:06:37.610 in plain language what's wrong with me. The doctor 00:06:37.610 --> 00:06:39.870 said, do you want it straight? He said, sure 00:06:39.870 --> 00:06:45.199 do. He said, you're just plain lazy. He said, 00:06:45.319 --> 00:06:47.480 well okay, now give me the medical term so I 00:06:47.480 --> 00:06:51.860 can tell my wife. The sluggard is always looking 00:06:51.860 --> 00:06:54.600 for the right answer. He's got an argument for 00:06:54.600 --> 00:06:58.459 every situation. The opposite of the sluggard, 00:06:58.459 --> 00:07:01.279 of course, is the diligent man the Proverbs talks 00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:08.519 about. Diligence comes from a Hebrew verb that 00:07:08.519 --> 00:07:14.019 means to cut or to sharpen. The diligent man 00:07:14.019 --> 00:07:17.839 is one who is sharp, who is keen, or we might 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:20.819 say he's one who keeps himself on the cutting 00:07:20.819 --> 00:07:26.600 edge of where the action is. The person who lives 00:07:26.600 --> 00:07:30.339 with diligence gets the most out of life. That's 00:07:30.339 --> 00:07:34.339 a fact. The person who is diligent gets the most 00:07:34.339 --> 00:07:38.699 out of life. What does he receive? Well, notice 00:07:38.699 --> 00:07:40.939 with me what he receives as we look again at 00:07:40.939 --> 00:07:46.339 the book of Proverbs. His efforts result in satisfaction. 00:07:46.500 --> 00:07:50.439 He receives satisfaction. Again, look in chapter 00:07:50.439 --> 00:07:55.540 13 and verse 4. The sluggard craves and gets 00:07:55.540 --> 00:07:58.899 nothing but the desires of the diligent are fully 00:07:58.899 --> 00:08:04.000 satisfied. His willingness to work hard produces 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:08.779 gratifying results. He knows contentedness, not 00:08:08.779 --> 00:08:12.600 that he receives everything he ever wanted. But 00:08:12.600 --> 00:08:17.060 his goals being set are usually achieved through 00:08:17.060 --> 00:08:22.420 persistent work. By being tenacious and sticking 00:08:22.420 --> 00:08:28.699 at it, he's industrious, he is studious, he is 00:08:28.699 --> 00:08:34.340 enterprising, and so his efforts result in satisfaction. 00:08:35.480 --> 00:08:40.179 But not so the one who is lazy. The one who is 00:08:40.179 --> 00:08:43.889 lazy will rarely begin something. And if he does, 00:08:44.429 --> 00:08:48.210 he's unlikely to finish it. And he rationalizes 00:08:48.210 --> 00:08:52.990 his laziness. Look back at chapter 6 with me. 00:08:53.789 --> 00:08:56.789 And notice verses 9 and 10. How long will you 00:08:56.789 --> 00:09:00.870 lie there, you sluggard? Now, that might come 00:09:00.870 --> 00:09:04.830 in handy tomorrow morning. When will you get 00:09:04.830 --> 00:09:08.330 up from your sleep? And here's what he says. 00:09:09.250 --> 00:09:12.940 A little sleep. A little slumber. A little folding 00:09:12.940 --> 00:09:16.840 of the hands to rest. Oh, just five minutes more. 00:09:18.679 --> 00:09:21.700 And poverty will come on you, says the writer, 00:09:22.120 --> 00:09:26.220 like a bandit, and scarcity like an armed man. 00:09:27.120 --> 00:09:30.080 Does the lazy person find satisfaction in life? 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:35.840 Not hardly. He robs himself of satisfaction because 00:09:35.840 --> 00:09:38.059 he won't begin something, and if he does, he 00:09:38.059 --> 00:09:40.759 won't finish it. And then he has all kinds of 00:09:40.759 --> 00:09:45.019 excuses why the job isn't done. There's a fundamental 00:09:45.019 --> 00:09:51.019 flaw in character, in laziness. Real fulfillment 00:09:51.019 --> 00:09:54.779 is found in being self -disciplined and internally 00:09:54.779 --> 00:09:58.919 motivated. Consider the kind of satisfaction 00:09:58.919 --> 00:10:00.899 that these people must have enjoyed. Take for 00:10:00.899 --> 00:10:04.860 example Adam Clark, who wrote a large commentary 00:10:04.860 --> 00:10:07.720 on the Bible. It's reported that it took Clark 00:10:07.879 --> 00:10:14.360 40 years to write out his commentary. Noah Webster 00:10:14.360 --> 00:10:20.259 labored 36 years forming his dictionary. John 00:10:20.259 --> 00:10:22.899 Milton rose at four o 'clock every morning in 00:10:22.899 --> 00:10:26.340 order to have sufficient hours to compose and 00:10:26.340 --> 00:10:29.879 then to rewrite his poetry, which of course stands 00:10:29.879 --> 00:10:34.330 among the best of the world's literature. Gibbon 00:10:34.330 --> 00:10:37.429 spent 26 years researching and writing his book, 00:10:37.549 --> 00:10:40.830 The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, a classic. 00:10:42.129 --> 00:10:44.269 And Bryant is reported to have rewritten one 00:10:44.269 --> 00:10:49.389 of his poems a hundred times, a hundred times 00:10:49.389 --> 00:10:53.090 before he would allow it to be published so that 00:10:53.090 --> 00:10:55.929 he could attain complete beauty and perfection 00:10:55.929 --> 00:11:03.289 of expression. Diligence. Diligence. It is when 00:11:03.289 --> 00:11:07.649 we are diligent that we find our efforts resulting 00:11:07.649 --> 00:11:14.190 in satisfaction. Why else does the diligent man 00:11:14.190 --> 00:11:16.629 receive the best from life? It's because his 00:11:16.629 --> 00:11:22.090 increase, secondly, his increase results in self 00:11:22.090 --> 00:11:26.570 -reliance. He receives satisfaction from the 00:11:26.570 --> 00:11:29.049 hard effort he's put into something, and at the 00:11:29.049 --> 00:11:33.500 end of it, he sees it's worth it. But secondly, 00:11:33.700 --> 00:11:38.460 his increase results in his being self -reliant. 00:11:39.240 --> 00:11:46.440 Chapter 10 of Proverbs and verse 4. Lazy hands 00:11:46.440 --> 00:11:51.480 make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. 00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:56.799 And then again verse 24 of chapter 12. Diligent 00:11:56.799 --> 00:12:00.519 hands will rule, laziness ends, and slave labor. 00:12:02.120 --> 00:12:05.159 What he's saying here is the hard work pays off. 00:12:06.299 --> 00:12:10.539 The diligent man does not have to unduly rely 00:12:10.539 --> 00:12:16.259 on others. The increase of his wealth frees him 00:12:16.259 --> 00:12:22.200 from dependence to be self -sufficient. He works 00:12:22.200 --> 00:12:26.200 hard and as a result of that, he receives increase. 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:31.120 And his increase results in his self -reliance. 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:34.659 A lot of people daydream about that kind of a 00:12:34.659 --> 00:12:38.799 life. But chapter 12 verse 11 warns, he who works 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:41.279 his land will have abundant food, but he who 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:46.000 chases fantasies lacks judgment. So a lot of 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:49.500 people daydreaming about self -reliance. But 00:12:49.500 --> 00:12:52.059 they will never experience it in life because 00:12:52.059 --> 00:12:57.700 they are not diligent to work hard. Now I recognize 00:12:57.700 --> 00:13:00.039 this, this cuts across the grain of our culture. 00:13:01.019 --> 00:13:05.080 We like to think about making it the easy way. 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:11.220 Friend, there is no easy way to do it. The way 00:13:11.220 --> 00:13:14.779 to do it is to work hard, to learn in one's youth, 00:13:15.259 --> 00:13:19.759 to be diligent. Out of that diligence, there 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:23.340 will be increase that will result in self -reliance. 00:13:23.480 --> 00:13:27.220 But the slothful, indolent person comes to poverty. 00:13:28.970 --> 00:13:32.669 The man received his pay envelope and on the 00:13:32.669 --> 00:13:37.070 outside it said, your raise will become effective 00:13:37.070 --> 00:13:43.409 as soon as you do. A lazy person will come to 00:13:43.409 --> 00:13:47.610 poverty. It does no good to daydream about becoming 00:13:47.610 --> 00:13:53.110 self -sufficient. The man who impoverishes himself 00:13:53.110 --> 00:13:58.129 from laziness imposes upon himself restrictions. 00:13:59.720 --> 00:14:02.279 that caused him not to be able to enjoy life 00:14:02.279 --> 00:14:06.000 to its fullest. Now, I want to make it clear 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:09.960 that I understand that laziness is not the root 00:14:09.960 --> 00:14:13.899 of all poverty. Some poverty comes because of 00:14:13.899 --> 00:14:19.700 oppression and injustice. Some poverty comes 00:14:19.700 --> 00:14:24.399 because of politics and because of military action. 00:14:24.460 --> 00:14:28.179 There's all kinds of reasons for poverty. But 00:14:28.179 --> 00:14:32.159 laziness is one reason, isn't it? Being self 00:14:32.159 --> 00:14:36.659 -sufficient is important so that one can sense 00:14:36.659 --> 00:14:42.240 well -being and be emotionally healthy. The man 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:44.600 who is diligent receives the best from life. 00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:49.259 His efforts result in satisfaction. His increase 00:14:49.259 --> 00:14:53.220 results in self -reliance in a healthy and proper 00:14:53.220 --> 00:14:56.759 and godly sense. And thirdly, his preparation 00:14:56.759 --> 00:15:00.480 results in security. Turn back again to chapter 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:08.779 6. And verse 6. Where we are instructed, go to 00:15:08.779 --> 00:15:12.639 the ant, you sluggard. Consider its ways and 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:16.559 be wise. Here we have a picture from nature. 00:15:18.039 --> 00:15:20.799 This is one of two times the ant is mentioned 00:15:20.799 --> 00:15:25.340 in the Bible. Such a little, small insect. Both 00:15:25.340 --> 00:15:28.519 times that God talks about it is in a positive 00:15:28.519 --> 00:15:32.879 sense. Here the lazy person can learn something 00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:37.899 from the ant that will make him wise. It has 00:15:37.899 --> 00:15:42.620 no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores 00:15:42.620 --> 00:15:46.059 its provisions in summer and gathers its food 00:15:46.059 --> 00:15:51.059 at harvest. What he's saying is that the diligent 00:15:51.059 --> 00:15:57.740 man learns to plan ahead. He learns to plan ahead. 00:15:59.320 --> 00:16:01.559 So if you're a student today and you know that 00:16:01.559 --> 00:16:03.840 at the end of the quarter you've got a term paper, 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:08.019 what's the smart thing to do? Begin the project 00:16:08.019 --> 00:16:11.460 weeks in advance. What happens when you prepare 00:16:11.460 --> 00:16:16.860 that way? It results in security. You feel secure 00:16:16.860 --> 00:16:18.919 about your grades, you feel secure about your 00:16:18.919 --> 00:16:22.309 life, you feel secure about your sleep. Because 00:16:22.309 --> 00:16:24.009 you know that when you get to the end of the 00:16:24.009 --> 00:16:26.250 quarter, you've prepared well enough in advance, 00:16:26.669 --> 00:16:30.850 the paper will be done. You're planning to go 00:16:30.850 --> 00:16:32.950 to college? Are you saving money for college? 00:16:35.590 --> 00:16:38.830 Tuition is expensive in most colleges. You better 00:16:38.830 --> 00:16:42.470 plan ahead. Preparation results in security. 00:16:46.269 --> 00:16:50.169 Do you have taxes to pay? You might want to save 00:16:50.169 --> 00:16:55.980 for those. What about insurance? If you have 00:16:55.980 --> 00:16:59.419 a child of five, remember that in 11 years he's 00:16:59.419 --> 00:17:02.960 going to drive. Start saving now for the auto 00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:08.279 insurance. That preparation will result in security 00:17:08.279 --> 00:17:13.900 when he's 16. The fruit of diligence is personal 00:17:13.900 --> 00:17:17.240 security, at least as much as is humanly possible. 00:17:17.259 --> 00:17:20.779 Let's recognize the fact and be honest to say 00:17:22.200 --> 00:17:25.839 That true security is not found in material things. 00:17:27.500 --> 00:17:29.779 But we must also point out the fact that God 00:17:29.779 --> 00:17:33.059 intends for us to repair through life for our 00:17:33.059 --> 00:17:39.460 security. The ant is an example. The writer shows 00:17:39.460 --> 00:17:43.779 us that the ant needs no overseer. It does not 00:17:43.779 --> 00:17:46.099 need a foreman. It does not need a superintendent. 00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:50.799 It doesn't need a manager. The ant is a social 00:17:50.799 --> 00:17:53.640 creature. though I've never found it very sociable 00:17:53.640 --> 00:17:57.599 myself. It is a social creature. It lives in 00:17:57.599 --> 00:18:02.680 a colony. Ants, by their nature, are initiators. 00:18:03.400 --> 00:18:06.400 They are self -starters. They are not clock watchers. 00:18:06.420 --> 00:18:09.599 Did you ever see an ant with a Timex on its leg? 00:18:09.660 --> 00:18:13.079 Of course not. They don't watch the clock. They 00:18:13.079 --> 00:18:17.140 just do the work. In fact, they appear not to 00:18:17.140 --> 00:18:20.480 rest, although they do. Most ants do their work 00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:22.440 in the morning and the late afternoon and take 00:18:22.440 --> 00:18:27.460 the midday to rest. But they're constantly working, 00:18:27.500 --> 00:18:32.859 it seems. They cooperate with others. Their community 00:18:32.859 --> 00:18:36.740 functions smoothly. We can learn something from 00:18:36.740 --> 00:18:40.759 the ant. Secondly, we notice from the ant that 00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:44.420 the ant takes advantage of opportune times and 00:18:44.420 --> 00:18:47.519 situations. When it's summer, the ant is gathering 00:18:47.519 --> 00:18:51.160 in. Why is that? Because there is a time coming 00:18:51.160 --> 00:18:55.680 when the ant cannot gather in. And so he prepares 00:18:55.680 --> 00:18:59.480 for retirement, so to speak. And when fall comes 00:18:59.480 --> 00:19:02.720 and things become more dormant, the ant has his 00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:06.980 supply laid in. The writer is saying that we 00:19:06.980 --> 00:19:10.160 must become shrewd investors of our time, our 00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:14.569 money, our strength. Our preparation, well in 00:19:14.569 --> 00:19:20.269 advance, results in our personal security. But 00:19:20.269 --> 00:19:24.849 laziness is like a thief. It robs us of security. 00:19:25.450 --> 00:19:28.769 When we waste time, our talents, our potential, 00:19:28.910 --> 00:19:32.730 our money, our opportunities, we squander what 00:19:32.730 --> 00:19:35.930 God puts into our hands and which is precious. 00:19:38.029 --> 00:19:42.980 Charles Bridges in his commentary on the book 00:19:42.980 --> 00:19:45.980 of Proverbs, which is a classic, writes, the 00:19:45.980 --> 00:19:49.339 lazy man keeps the future carefully out of sight 00:19:49.339 --> 00:19:52.880 to be provided for like the present when it comes. 00:19:53.900 --> 00:19:56.299 He always makes sure that the future is around 00:19:56.299 --> 00:19:58.519 the corner where he can't see it and doesn't 00:19:58.519 --> 00:20:03.180 have to think about it. Now, of course, there 00:20:03.180 --> 00:20:04.960 is a sense in which we're to live a day at a 00:20:04.960 --> 00:20:08.859 time. But taken to an extreme, it becomes sinful. 00:20:09.930 --> 00:20:15.710 it becomes sloth. There was a student who wrote 00:20:15.710 --> 00:20:21.410 Henry Ward Beecher, asking him how to obtain 00:20:21.410 --> 00:20:26.650 an easy job. Reverend Beecher replied to him 00:20:26.650 --> 00:20:33.170 with this remark in writing, if that's your attitude, 00:20:33.509 --> 00:20:36.240 you'll never amount to anything. You cannot be 00:20:36.240 --> 00:20:39.160 an editor or become a lawyer or think of entering 00:20:39.160 --> 00:20:41.859 the ministry. None of these professions are easy. 00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:45.359 You will have to forget the fields of merchandising 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:48.519 and shipping, abhor the practice of politics, 00:20:48.759 --> 00:20:51.440 and forget about the difficult field of medicine. 00:20:52.299 --> 00:20:54.839 To be a farmer or even a good soldier, you must 00:20:54.839 --> 00:20:58.339 study and think. My son, you have come into a 00:20:58.339 --> 00:21:01.839 hard world. I know of only one easy place in 00:21:01.839 --> 00:21:09.599 it, and that's the grave. He's right. It is diligence 00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:15.259 that results in our security. John Wanamaker 00:21:15.259 --> 00:21:18.119 is a name that is unknown to most of us today. 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:22.720 He died 70 years ago. But in his day he was one 00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:25.440 of the most famous businessmen of America. He 00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:31.019 was also a wonderful Christian. For several years 00:21:31.019 --> 00:21:34.349 he sold clothes. in a store in Philadelphia, 00:21:34.390 --> 00:21:37.349 and then quit that job to become the full -time 00:21:37.349 --> 00:21:42.230 secretary of the YMCA in Philadelphia. But after 00:21:42.230 --> 00:21:45.069 four years in 1861, he decided to start his own 00:21:45.069 --> 00:21:48.849 business and did so with God's blessing. In a 00:21:48.849 --> 00:21:51.930 few years, he had several stores and was one 00:21:51.930 --> 00:21:56.109 of the most wealthy men in America. At the same 00:21:56.109 --> 00:21:59.390 time, in 1889, he was appointed postmaster general 00:21:59.390 --> 00:22:01.910 of the United States by President Benjamin Harrison. 00:22:04.830 --> 00:22:07.970 And he was the superintendent of the largest 00:22:07.970 --> 00:22:12.190 Sunday school in the world at the Bethany Presbyterian 00:22:12.190 --> 00:22:16.190 Church in Philadelphia. Someone asked him one 00:22:16.190 --> 00:22:18.450 time how he could hold all of these positions 00:22:18.450 --> 00:22:22.009 at one time, and here was his response. Early 00:22:22.009 --> 00:22:25.470 in life, I read, seek ye first the kingdom of 00:22:25.470 --> 00:22:29.130 God and his righteousness, and all these things 00:22:29.130 --> 00:22:33.009 shall be added to you. The Sunday school is my 00:22:33.009 --> 00:22:38.400 business. all the rest are the things." What 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:41.539 he was saying was that he was diligent in giving 00:22:41.539 --> 00:22:44.400 himself to the Lord and to his kingdom and his 00:22:44.400 --> 00:22:50.299 work and God saw after the things. One evidence 00:22:50.299 --> 00:22:53.700 of his right priorities can be seen in the fact 00:22:53.700 --> 00:22:57.140 that he had constructed in one of his stores 00:22:57.140 --> 00:23:01.500 a soundproof room. Every day, early in the day, 00:23:01.579 --> 00:23:04.720 he would spend 30 minutes praying and meditating 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:08.759 upon God's Word in that special study prepared 00:23:08.759 --> 00:23:15.880 for him. Diligence. Diligence brings the best 00:23:15.880 --> 00:23:21.059 that life has to offer. Therefore we ought to 00:23:21.059 --> 00:23:27.180 avoid laziness. It is a waste of life and it 00:23:27.180 --> 00:23:30.500 is a waste of the opportunities that Christ will 00:23:30.500 --> 00:23:36.490 give us in this coming Kingdom. It is the diligent 00:23:36.490 --> 00:23:40.609 person who will be rewarded. It is the one who 00:23:40.609 --> 00:23:43.430 makes the most of what he's had in this life, 00:23:44.430 --> 00:23:46.849 to whom Christ will say, enter into the kingdom, 00:23:47.130 --> 00:23:50.690 great is your reward. Each of us will give a 00:23:50.690 --> 00:23:53.250 count of himself to Jesus Christ at the judgment 00:23:53.250 --> 00:23:56.170 seat, and on that day it's the diligent who will 00:23:56.170 --> 00:24:00.329 receive the reward. May I again quote from Charles 00:24:00.329 --> 00:24:06.779 Bridges? He says, look at laziness not as an 00:24:06.779 --> 00:24:12.019 infirmity but as a sin, affecting the whole man, 00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:16.460 growing upon us with unseen power. Therefore, 00:24:16.559 --> 00:24:19.440 don't allow it any rest, no time to root itself, 00:24:19.900 --> 00:24:22.259 resist it in all its forms, bodily, mentally, 00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:26.519 spiritually. Don't allow it any indulgence of 00:24:26.519 --> 00:24:30.180 sleep and appetites. Live by rule, have your 00:24:30.180 --> 00:24:34.029 time strictly arranged, Employ yourself in early 00:24:34.029 --> 00:24:38.369 work for God. Store your mind with useful knowledge, 00:24:38.829 --> 00:24:41.549 always reserving the first place for earnest 00:24:41.549 --> 00:24:46.890 and prayerful study of the Word of God. And so 00:24:46.890 --> 00:24:50.390 Paul instructs us, whether you eat or drink or 00:24:50.390 --> 00:24:54.150 whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 00:24:55.230 --> 00:24:59.289 And he says, whatever you do, work at it with 00:24:59.289 --> 00:25:03.980 all your heart. as working for the Lord, not 00:25:03.980 --> 00:25:08.920 for men. Since you know from the Lord, you will 00:25:08.920 --> 00:25:13.019 receive an inheritance." Listen, Paul wrote that 00:25:13.019 --> 00:25:17.339 to slaves. He wrote that to people who really 00:25:17.339 --> 00:25:20.720 did not receive self -reliance and satisfaction. 00:25:22.420 --> 00:25:25.539 They did not have much reward in this life materially, 00:25:25.660 --> 00:25:29.970 and yet he says even to them, be diligent. because 00:25:29.970 --> 00:25:34.130 you're working for the Lord and not for men and 00:25:34.130 --> 00:25:38.990 he will reward you. I tell you that kind of an 00:25:38.990 --> 00:25:43.390 attitude makes a difference. It makes a difference. 00:25:44.890 --> 00:25:48.549 A poll recently revealed that those who have 00:25:48.549 --> 00:25:52.470 a high degree of quote religious commitment close 00:25:52.470 --> 00:25:56.990 quote like their jobs better and perform them 00:25:56.990 --> 00:26:00.069 more efficiently than non -religious counterparts. 00:26:01.170 --> 00:26:03.549 Men and women who took their faith seriously 00:26:03.549 --> 00:26:06.509 scored well ahead of those of their colleagues 00:26:06.509 --> 00:26:10.890 in areas such as cooperativeness, loyalty, and 00:26:10.890 --> 00:26:16.269 creativity. It makes a difference when you see 00:26:16.269 --> 00:26:18.829 yourself as working for the Lord and not for 00:26:18.829 --> 00:26:26.170 man. Therefore, let us be diligent. And not only 00:26:26.170 --> 00:26:30.460 diligent in physical things and material things 00:26:30.460 --> 00:26:35.059 and economic things but in spiritual things. 00:26:36.519 --> 00:26:38.619 Too often those are the things that we put last 00:26:38.619 --> 00:26:42.700 on the list. We see well after our bodies and 00:26:42.700 --> 00:26:46.880 we make sure that we're in shape. We look to 00:26:46.880 --> 00:26:51.599 our finances to see that we have money to pay 00:26:51.599 --> 00:26:53.980 the bills and we lay in advance of what's coming 00:26:53.980 --> 00:26:58.630 ahead. We take care of ourselves in so many ways 00:26:58.630 --> 00:27:01.269 and yet often we're lazy when it comes to spiritual 00:27:01.269 --> 00:27:07.130 things. We can become sluggards, sluggards in 00:27:07.130 --> 00:27:11.730 that sense. People who are slow. We delay until 00:27:11.730 --> 00:27:14.910 tomorrow. We're putting off until a more convenient 00:27:14.910 --> 00:27:18.829 time. Making the decisions that will get us right 00:27:18.829 --> 00:27:22.829 with God. The fact is today is all we have. It's 00:27:22.829 --> 00:27:27.029 all we can count on. So let's make those decisions 00:27:27.029 --> 00:27:31.809 today that will put us into shape spiritually. 00:27:32.450 --> 00:27:34.910 That will mean that we are being diligent about 00:27:34.910 --> 00:27:38.009 those things that truly are the most important. 00:27:39.369 --> 00:27:49.930 Let's pray. I don't know what area of your life 00:27:49.930 --> 00:27:52.250 the Spirit of God may be putting his finger on. 00:27:54.319 --> 00:27:56.460 Perhaps it is that you're not caring for your 00:27:56.460 --> 00:28:00.359 body. You've become a lazy person physically. 00:28:02.400 --> 00:28:04.680 Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, my 00:28:04.680 --> 00:28:09.940 friend. Do you need to commit yourself today 00:28:09.940 --> 00:28:15.039 to diligence regarding your physical body? Maybe 00:28:15.039 --> 00:28:19.940 it's your finances that you need to ask the Lord's 00:28:19.940 --> 00:28:25.279 help to be diligent with? Perhaps it's your mind. 00:28:25.500 --> 00:28:28.960 What a wonderful gift God has given us. But in 00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:31.700 this day of entertainment we waste it so much. 00:28:32.500 --> 00:28:34.920 We put it into neutral. We're not diligent with 00:28:34.920 --> 00:28:39.720 our minds. Perhaps there's a commitment in that 00:28:39.720 --> 00:28:43.559 area that needs to be made. But let me go ahead 00:28:43.559 --> 00:28:46.900 and bore on to that area of our life that is 00:28:46.900 --> 00:28:51.710 spiritual. Are you right with God? Are you delaying 00:28:51.710 --> 00:28:54.589 and neglecting and putting off until some other 00:28:54.589 --> 00:29:01.190 time getting right with Him? Dear friend, be 00:29:01.190 --> 00:29:05.170 diligent about it. Awaken to the hour. This is 00:29:05.170 --> 00:29:09.990 the only hour you're guaranteed today. Trust 00:29:09.990 --> 00:29:13.630 Jesus Christ as your Savior. Receive Him into 00:29:13.630 --> 00:29:18.099 your heart as the Lord of your life. Turn from 00:29:18.099 --> 00:29:20.359 everything else that you've trusted in and lived 00:29:20.359 --> 00:29:28.299 for and live for Him alone. And if you're a Christian 00:29:28.299 --> 00:29:32.940 and your spiritual life has been neglected, if 00:29:32.940 --> 00:29:35.240 you've been lazy spiritually, will you tell the 00:29:35.240 --> 00:29:38.599 Lord that today you will be diligent? That you 00:29:38.599 --> 00:29:45.240 will renew yourself? Father, I pray that whatever 00:29:45.240 --> 00:29:48.220 the Spirit of God may find within us today that 00:29:48.220 --> 00:29:50.539 needs to be addressed, that we will hear His 00:29:50.539 --> 00:29:55.599 voice and respond to His tender pleadings. And 00:29:55.599 --> 00:29:57.940 if there be someone here today without Christ, 00:29:58.119 --> 00:30:01.900 oh, may they this morning, even this day, trust 00:30:01.900 --> 00:30:07.460 Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Lord, may all 00:30:07.460 --> 00:30:11.579 of us who've done that be sure that we're living 00:30:11.579 --> 00:30:16.849 diligent, spiritual lives, putting our priorities 00:30:16.849 --> 00:30:21.730 first, seeking the things of God first, knowing 00:30:21.730 --> 00:30:24.890 that you will add all the other things to us 00:30:24.890 --> 00:30:31.690 in your way and time. Now before I close in prayer, 00:30:31.829 --> 00:30:33.430 I wonder if there are some here who would say, 00:30:33.470 --> 00:30:36.289 Pastor, God has spoken to my heart and there 00:30:36.289 --> 00:30:38.950 are some areas of my life where I need to be 00:30:38.950 --> 00:30:43.200 diligent. And I'm committing myself today to 00:30:43.200 --> 00:30:48.839 God to be the diligent person I ought to be in 00:30:48.839 --> 00:30:52.960 that area. And I want to by the uplifted hand 00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:55.980 say before God that is my commitment today to 00:30:55.980 --> 00:30:58.700 be diligent in those areas that the Spirit of 00:30:58.700 --> 00:31:01.900 God has revealed less than diligence today. Would 00:31:01.900 --> 00:31:04.900 you put your hand up and then put it down? This 00:31:04.900 --> 00:31:07.380 is for God and your physical response really 00:31:07.380 --> 00:31:10.799 to say to God, I want to be diligent. God bless 00:31:10.799 --> 00:31:15.480 you. Father, you've seen the hands and you know 00:31:15.480 --> 00:31:18.920 the hearts, and now by your Spirit fulfill these 00:31:18.920 --> 00:31:23.819 commitments through these individuals. Having 00:31:23.819 --> 00:31:26.160 put the will into motion, may now the Spirit 00:31:26.160 --> 00:31:29.880 of God come alongside each of them and give them 00:31:29.880 --> 00:31:32.480 strength to be diligent in that area or those 00:31:32.480 --> 00:31:35.660 areas where you've brought conviction this day. 00:31:36.480 --> 00:31:38.319 In Jesus' name, amen.