Sloth

What are series on the seven deadly sins which we been dealing with these last two weeks we dealt with the sin of pride, the sin of envy last week of the sin of anger. Next week we will deal with the sin of gluttony. Some of you will my don't want to come but we want you particularly to come and today the subject is slaw very word sounds kind of repulsive doesn't it.

The law with the read about the slugger log slothful slug going to read about two years ago, Greg and I were on a cruise in the Caribbean and we stopped over the beautiful country of Costa Rica and that we signed up for one of these tradeshows feel you been ripped off by the cruise line using on this as an aside, showing my Scottish prejudice, but we went on this and they showed us a lot of slots picture. One of them is a picture of a slob you think it looks Christmas is a looks good, it doesn't really slothful and that I learned that sloths are slothful.

They just sit around all day and they are: slothful US is sloth. Satan is it really a deadly sin while in the something first of all, what comes to mind when we think of sloth, but then I want to think a little deeper on the attitude of the problem behind slaw and of course finally then the spiritual solution we going to be first of all, in the New Testament. Open your Bibles. Please to second Thessalonians didn't bring a Bible there's one in the pew in front of you. Second Thessalonians, written by the apostle Paul and reading from chapter 3 second Thessalonians chapter 3 verse six is the word of God to us this morning.

Paul Rice, we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness, evidence, people who are walking in idleness, and not in a coordinate not in accord with the tradition that you receive from us.

For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor. We worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. Paul is saying, myself, and their fellow puzzles.

We were not lazy we were when we with you.

You know that it was not because we do not have the rights as apostles. They had the right, but to give you in ourselves. An example to imitate. As an example of hard work best 10 foot even when we were with you, we would give you this command. It is, if anyone is not willing to work, let him not. Each for we hear that some some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work but busy buddies met people like that. They are busy in other people's business but they're not busy at work. Best well-nigh. Such people, we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to their own living is for you, brothers do not grow weary in doing good.

If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter. Take note of that person and have nothing to do with him that he may be ashamed.

Do not regard them as an enemy but warned him as a brother, a clear exhortation to work hard to see. First of all, sloth is laziness, laziness, turn in the Old Testament of the book of Proverbs is the book of Psalms the book of Proverbs Proverbs chapter 6 Proverbs 6 and that with everything in verse six, Proverbs 6 verse six Proverbs a lot to say about slaw lager delay people unit is Proverbs 6 verse six go to the end 20 sluggard consider her ways and be wise, if you are wise you will listen to this without any chief without having any chief officer all ruler. She prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in the harvest you once and some you the very opposite of being slothful that I was scurrying about. They work hard. Verse nine how long will you live there or sluggard, when will you arise from your sleep a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest and poverty will come upon you Robert and warm like an on-demand use of money doesn't work is lies. These bed all day and very quickly. Poverty comes in doing something so what's gone wrong he is a sluggard Proverbs chapter 26 Proverbs 26 verse 13 something more about the sluggard lazy person. The slothful person unit is chapter 26 of Proverbs verse 13, the slugger says there's a line in the road. There's a line in the streets at the door turns on its hinges, so there's a sluggard on his bed graphic.

The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and wears them to bring it back to his mother because I'm lazy.

He is the sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly. One of the characteristics of the sluggard, which I just think of the person you know that all she knows it all. Wiser than the seven men who answered sensibly. These are graphic pictures of the slothful person, someone who is too easy to lazy to cook what they have caught in hunting familiar with the book of Proverbs, you know the end of Proverbs is a wonderful example of the opposite of being sluggard it is the virtuous woman in Proverbs chapter 13 one. She is praise because she's a very opposite of slaw verse 13. She works with a willing hands, not grudgingly as woman verse 15. She provides food for her household. Verse 16 she considers a field and buys that she is involved in real estate. Verse 16. She plants a vineyard. Verse 24 to makes linen garments and sells them. Verse 27 she looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness that is a woman who is to be praised. She is busy she is virtuous is hard-working example of very opposite of the sluggard hardware. Please hear me is commanded in the Old Testament and in the New Testament we hired things rather striking words, rather solemn words by the apostle Paul in second Thessalonians chapter 3 let's read further about this in the book of Ephesians Ephesians chapter 4 you understand why one to bring your Bible whenever goals and tell the church is that we read our Bible that we understand the Bible and that you learn to read it on your own and so grow more like Jesus. Ephesians chapter 4 just one verse, verse 28 Paul again this writing verse 28 let the thief no longer still is one way to get money is that you still sometimes the lazy person is exactly what we do, they turn to crime, no faith, no longer still but rather let him labor were caught doing honest work with his own hands so that he may have something to share with someone in need. There's a transformation of the gospel is a man before he comes to Jesus Christ and his SCV doesn't work steals.

Now he comes to Christ as life is change. He works hard with his own hands so that he can give to the person in the wonderful questions chapter 3 of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Colossians 3 verse 23 this is a couple of verses we use with the staff here at Calvary.

Colossians 3 verse 23 what ever you do work constantly here that whatever you do work heartily enthusiastically with your whole heart, not just doing a job. As for the Lord and not for men. Is it what you don't know my boss. He is terrible. She is very demanding that may well be the case you're still to work hard because Paul is elevating work is an act of worship when you're working hard, you're doing it. As for the Lord you're doing it as if you are working for Jesus, you are working for Jesus.

So whatever you do, verse 23 work heartily as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord, you will receive the inheritance as your reward you're serving the Lord Christ said before allowing the very early on in my legal career. When I was toiling over doing a particular legal work and my senior partner who was a very strong Christian. He said to me. Remember John you're doing this as an act of worship to the Lord is doing it to make money. I'm just doing it because you told me to do it no I'm serving the Lord Christ wonderful thing you do your drawing dishes and flipping burgers you're doing heart surgery working in IT at home, away from everyone, you're doing it as for the Lord Scripture tells us here in the first Timothy first Timothy chapter 5 verse eight we have a responsibility to her family to work.

First Timothy chapter 5 verse eight. If anyone does not provide for his own relatives, and especially for members of his household is denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever, slothful person is so lazy he doesn't even provide for himself far less for his family, far less for the person who is poor thing to work like that you're able to work. You're able to make money – so you can take care of yourself so you can take care of your family but also so you can give to that person in need of the lazy person is so laid-back that nothing is accomplished and the subject clearly but for the writings of old.

I am not referring to those who are unable to work, but I'm suffering from clinical depression or some other disability were not talking by that. Where this assumption is that we are healthy and that we are physically and mentally able to work. We live in a society don't way of entitlements. Some people almost 70 don't work. They know the system and they seem to think this is good, but need to worry can the government is going to give the money you have a common caricature is of the 29-year-old single man who doesn't work yet about this fellow lives in the parens basement spends all of his time on the Internet, playing video games shows little initiative dependent on his parents and he wonders why he never gets a second day. I just wonder he gets a first date follows a second date disable this as a cricketer. This is a reality of modern life here in the United States that we have some young people and older people who are able to work but refused to do so are enabled by their parents to do so with a laser on this is clearly contrary to Scripture, laziness, nor thought about this. You know we got here we are. And companies spend millions, perhaps billions of dollars in getting people motivated to work around these motivational speakers that companies bring it in and they got you all pumped up to work as an indictment of our society is.

I thought the great-grandparents on her grandparents meet motivational speaker's to get them to work. I don't think so.

My old my own father left school at 14 to go to work his father had died. Large family and went to work in order to eat in order to put food on the table. It was a necessity for survival and in the world today. I would dare to say that the majority of people have to work in order to survive, to buy the extras, but actually to survive pumps while we are doing in this wonderful country of America. Paul says the person who doesn't work. Should needs assumption being that person is able to work there lazy. They lay around sinful and if you are not categorizing the lazy person, please hear the word of God's law is displeasing to the Lord God expects us to work in the garden of Eden just before the fall, the lock to gather Genesis 2 verse 52 gather and put him in the garden of the then the Scripture says to work it and keep it as a perfect darkness of others, no weeds, no they were expounding the garden of Eden. Work to do.

God takes this man this perfect plan prior to the fall in Genesis 2, put some in the garden and he's to keep it. He's to send it to look after was the point work is honorable.

Laziness is condemned in Scripture we are to work hard children. Students we need to do at school, college to work hard to study hard.

Don't be lazy. God's will for you is to work hard and that is asked by college students regarding God's will for them is God calling them to be a missionary who was going to marry what career you know if you're in college is God's will for you work hard, study is what you are is what God has put you in this sphere where you are you are to work hard in our homes, children can and should be taught to do minor chores around the house. As he grew up there. Given more responsibility. They are being trained to work with where I was brought up as a boy I work for a farmer at time picking potatoes hard work for me tell you during summer vacation. When is about 11 or 12 brothers and I we worked again for farmer picking strawberries and raspberries in the summer holidays member with the money I earned to give some to my mom, but the money I earned. I bought a bicycle and then I bought a speedometer for my bike. I thought all your second bike was that your bike was a new speedometer put it on my bike to bike to school and I were amazed when we first came to United States when Dallas and we see the 16-year-olds girls driving these beautiful new Cadillacs to school. This is amazing only in America writes about speedometer for my bike. I drew my summer as university student between high school and the universe that what visitors guide for one summer my first time I came to North America came to Canada worked in the building site building houses.

I was not very good at that. My boss came and they very kindly said John using took difficultly.

Have you ever tried with a hammer to put nails up on the ceiling like that. It was horrible and I decided then that this was not going to be my career but he was very kind to me. He said John was a general laborer. I said that sounds very very good.

I said I met my going to keep on the same hourly rate.

He said you are. I said thank you very very much by worked hard for two summers with her studying law have words that don't charge listening reinforced concrete hard hard work, but I was well. Hard work for us is good for us to work hard and also say that you are encoded are to work is changed. People become more demanding about compensation.

About time off about working conditions when I have this phenomenon of client quitting is I do that the door what weather thing a week. We kind of see how little we can work followers of Jesus are to have a strong and fake where you were, brother, sister to get a follower of Jesus Christ. You should be known as a person of integrity as a person who works hard all of us have worked with people work with people who seem to do as little as possible with someone I met there always looking for someone else to do the work never really volunteered and they know the system, they shuffled papers or whatever it is they do and that was the first to leave, long lunch breaks and the do as little as possible. Mission should be like that that form of stealing from your employer. Don't be lazy.

Don't be a sluggard work hard this doesn't mean that we become workaholics balances importance incher ago to the week in Israel was the Sabbath was a day of rest. Even the animals rested on the Sabbath in Israel. We need time to time, particularly to worship God at time of rest the time to recharge.

Where were not machines were human beings, but laziness is sinful.

I talked about physical work but was other kind of work is you spiritually lazy was very easy to be spiritual, lazy here in the Lord's day, instead of coming to the house of the Lord is laser Ryan's amazing people so I didn't come to church. I was hired tired and wants tired follower of Jesus Christ. Think of what he did and you're too tired. You're too lazy you can get on your bad you can get organized on the Lord's day to come and worship music. I watch my lifestream talking about people who are ill talking about elderly on target with those of you who are quite able to come to the house of the Lord on the Lord's day, but you are just too lazy. That is not ongoing to the Lord about your spiritual disciplines to lazy to read this book spiritually lazy to pray spiritually lazy. Cyrus Abu encourages us to volunteer in certain areas of our great she's like to do that, but not really what we doing were spiritually lazy.

God wants us not to be lazy, but to be vibrant and to serve the Lord. So first of all's office, laziness, habits, law secondly is more than physical laziness. I want you to understand this see of the heart of the deadly sin of sloth is a life without purpose. Sloth is not merely someone who doesn't work or recital. The problem is deeper. The slothful person cares for nothing enjoys nothing lives for nothing finds purpose and nothing I'm talking about the extreme asked about spiritual apathy, the person says I don't know and I don't care some of your of my advanced years will remember the Beatles with a wonderful song called nowhere man.

He's a real nowhere man sitting in his nowhere land making all his plans for nobody doesn't have a point of view knows not what he's going to isn't he a bit like you and me, Mr. nowhere man Mr. sloth is a bit of a nowhere man slothful person may turn up for work but is an attitude of I couldn't care less. A favorite word is whatever can be bothered with anything, doesn't want to do anything does not enjoy anything.

Doesn't seem to believe in anything, an individual in life with no perfect sloth. Then is an attitude to life, which produces a listlessness, lethargy, complacency, a lack of motivation that dejection and indifference and apathy was the point of it all is life all about slothful person finds no joy or pleasure in an extreme case, this individual has given up in life.

Peter increased rights.

How do we explain the irony that the very society which for the first time has come good-natured by technology and turned the world into a giant fun and games factory rich kids playroom the very society which has the last reason to be bored is the most important member insightful thing of all that we have here in the United States with our technology that we can do all of the efforts of the entertainment attainment world to entertain us to use us know all of that yet drifted saying I think is right where we are having more and more people are bored and who also bordering Mr. slothful is a very person he's bored and we boarded never speak of this kind is that enticements all of this technology with iPhones and with innumerable streaming services on the television all goes on the wonderful technology that we haven't much of it is so wonderful and yet how is it particularly with the younger generation. We have more and more depressed and anxious young people more and more attempted suicides. More and more suicides of young people in the fact to develop in life. I set about laziness in your relationships. Relationships within the family with her friends within church within the community takes work doesn't all of us have been the relationship with someone and we got one day visit with a minute I'm I'm the one who always initiates the relationship and not the other. Some of us to lazy to keep up with her family and their friends. I read this week that 11% of mothers age 65 to 75 with at least two living adult children were found in a survey to be estranged from a child I realized 10% of mothers in that age group estranged from one of their children. Many, many factors in that but one of them. I suspect is that the mother and on the child, or perhaps both have just been lazy but not sleazy and dealing with a difficult matter between them to lazy to do with it give up. Is it wow to Bart who cares beside his point, Solomon the wisest man who ever lived, concluded that everything in life seem pointless to read the book of Ecclesiastes. This is all is vanity vanity of vanities, R12 is got women is everything. It seems that life could give an individual he's looking the experiences of frustration of restlessness and emptiness and alienation. A life without purpose or meaning Carl Young said the central neurosis of our time is emptiness behind Mr. slothful is an empty life. Many people are anxious but slothful person doesn't know which is anxious about there's an emptiness in people today more and more. Crying out for fulfillment and meaning. What's the point of it all. Why do I live what's going on.

Thomas Aquinas described sloth as quote sadness and importance or boredom regarding a spiritual and divine good sloth is a spiritual sloth is a spiritual good injection where we don't pursue God in that sense sloth is the very opposite of what God wants for us is got one for us.

He wants us to pursue God. He wants us to love God with all of our heart. He wants us to pursue him passionately and work enthusiastically with the basic problem of slaw is this emptiness. This alienation want to tell you but God created you, not for sloth not to live a purposeless life. God created you, you and me every single one of us the wonderful God who created us, created us for a purpose not good news you created for the purpose God in his infinite wisdom, made us in his image I made in the image of God and being made in the image of God means there's a correspondence there's an affinity between God and me. Yes it has come in that is true. You are a spiritual being created by God to know God to commune with God created to find God without a living and the growing relationship with God's your life to a greater or lesser extent will be empty will be futile and if you and hard-working. Even if you achieve your goals at the end of it you think that was the point of it. A life without purpose. As a teenager I came across this wonderful famous quote that in the was famous at the time by Aquinas in his confession he begins his conversion. In this way that a great impact on me that has created us for myself and our hearts are restless until they rest in the God has created us for himself, to glorify him to be with him to love him.

Our hearts are restless until they rest in the so when our Savior comes in a beautiful invitation. He says come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I'll give you practice rest for your soul is on the teaching of Jesus. He told us to hunger and thirst after righteousness to hunger and thirst after God himself who is inexhaustible is the God he gives is that love and joy and peace in knowing him, which is incomparable. You will never ever ever be bored with God. Yes, you may bored with the latest technology and satiated with her. You and I will never be bored with God. He is the inexhaustible one. Psalm 63 verse 10 God, you are my God is the personal relationship, or God you are my God endlessly ICQ my soul thirsts for you I think is wonderful but there created whose all lies all loving and all good were singing about the goodness of God. He made this for the purpose when you think about that. This is this is so key to life and when you fulfill the purpose that God has for your life when you're walking in the path that God has for you, not your own path, not your own selfish path, but when we are fulfilling God's purposes for her life. We will experience not sloth, not emptiness, but his pleasure and his joy. Yes, in the most difficult circumstances of life that that relationship with God will be vibrant, will be living.

This is the living God poses love in this piece and to stress into our souls.

Furthermore, God has put us on this earth with him in their hymnbook which says this is my father's world, many fathers here. You could eat all you provide things for your family. That is their world is aware, we have the perfect father on the loving father and all-powerful father who has created for us this world. I understand this a fallen world and the sense and is here and has started that world but is still a beautiful world this is my father's world. This world is created for my enjoyment created by my father, God is my father.

I am his child and meantime I'm living in this world and I want you to enjoy the world not worldliness, but the world what your father has provided the problems with the slothful person he or she is to lazy to look up and was a self absorption.

Don't allow the problems of this world to rob you of peace and joy. I challenge you when you need this challenge to enjoy the beauty of our father's world to see a couple of days ago the beautiful moon just to the left of it is Jupiter were told it's the nearest will be to us for 70 years are far Jupiter is from us. I checked it up could measure myself an idea of our giving Jupiter's from thousand miles a million miles what would be a yes 365 million miles away can still see it in the sky shining brightly next to the moon to look up to enjoy the stars see the mountains. The fish the flowers and animals. This is our father's world to enjoy seeing these beautiful children singing to us today.

Never lose the wonder of God's creation norms in Scotland with my son Ian, Ian, are you listening.

Thank you, where way up in the Highlands of Scotland for a walk in a way I don't know how high it was, was a little bird singing little wings beating rapidly saying staying in the same spot and it was either the Lochner Nightingale.

I couldn't seem so high I said to you that here is this magnificent little bird reeling the middle of nowhere where the Scottish islands Highlands and is singing a beautiful song. The lark or the Nightingale of the sweetest songs where we are doing this and see doesn't know where here part of our father's world one there hearing about saying all of the variety of the birds and being aware of what's going on in our father's world. The Scripture says the heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork that we as followers of Christ.

The devil always always wanted to look in once isolate your budget a little basement but you not trying a little meaningless world and know God wants us to look up resign, how great thou art of the of the stars of the mountains of the Meadows of the beauty of creation God has made for us and that we understand that this is created by my father. This is created by God. A good god I'm to know God and I'm to fulfill God's purposes for my life.

No, God didn't create you to live a life of ultimate meaningless boredom and slaw and utility living in your small meaningless world. Not a tall life is not fines and living independently of God.

You think you can do that you can say well I don't care about God. Maybe there's a God member there is not who cares to live my own little life. What a life of meaninglessness. What is small.

The trivial little created by God made for better things, but he remains the correspondent to worship to God. To know God and life is found in knowing God and surrendering to God and seeking and pursuing God with all of our heart. That's why we worship God here.

When we come. That's why we say is when we lift up our bodies is to remind ourselves that God is great and greatly to be praise and that God so loved the world. Yes world of humanity, the God in spite of our sinfulness, in spite of our slothfulness in their spiritual lethargy under the independence and rebellion against God. God son very graciously. Grace, which is greater than our sin as we are with God so loved us that he sent his only son into this world and he comes and he lives the sinless life. The only sinless life comes as the Lamb of God bears the sin of the world to take away our sin does not through dying on the cross bearing our sin going in today conquering that homecoming darkness conquering the devil destroying the works of the devil rising from the dead, and says out you call on me will save forgive all of your sins.

I'll do more than that through my spirit.

I will in fact indwell you.

I'll be you will be transformed as sons and daughters of God.

So the Christian life and his heart has this personal and living the relationship with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who made us. Yes why God and we turn throwing away. But God, who is rich in mercy, sends his son on this mission. This rescue mission to rescue us from our selfishness to rescue us from our emptiness and their rebellion. So the promises. If you come to me. I will not cost you save you and I will redeem you. I will begin this wonderful adventure to following Jesus Christ as soft as a deadly sin stored by jaw said that an appetite for many people should read by Sergei buried at 60 is you want to live a life of emptiness.

We are to live and worship God passionately went to work enthusiastically all of life is to be lives for the glory of God. We are to work hard know we can never ever work for our salvation. God in his grace has done all of the work through our Lord Jesus Christ through his redemptive work on the cross through his resurrection through his ascension through his being seated at the right hand of God is a wonderful Christ the magnificent drives, calls, and you the bow before him to turn from your sin and to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. He said I came that they may have life in them you have it abundantly. The devil will tell you that the greatest life is rebelling against God because of their foolishness. Life for life abundant life is finding dying to self and living for Christ who gives us life abundantly.

So today I asked to turn from your sin with its loss or any other sin to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, your purpose in life. Your salvation is found in this living relationship with Jesus who still says if you drink of the water that I will give you to hear him.

You will never thirst. No emptiness in Christ, he will give you this fine China water springing up into life eternal on the London live a life lived to the glory of God that is no better life. I can testify of that if you come to Christ. He will never disappoint you today.

I'm asking you to drink about living water of Christ himself drink about living water, and you will never ever thirst were going to sing a song decision knowing I called a radio program verdict and that someone was interviewing me this week but talk show on the radio and he said what you call a verdict is a real part of it is because of my legal past, but more importantly God's word calls for a verdict calls for a decision. I'm asking you if you've never done it. The repent of your sin.

Trust Christ asking you if you slough in your life whether it's physical laziness or spiritually laziness whatever it is the repent of that and to drink fresh about living we bow and pray with me and then we will sing eternal God and their father, thank you for your grace. Thank you for the perfect work of our Lord Jesus Christ, that is offered to each of us salvation. We confess our spiritual laziness.

Think of those who have delayed coming to Christ putting it off procrastinating. Maybe understand that the day is the day of salvation today to hear your voice that they will not harden their hearts may many be making a decision to follow Christ to die to self, to take up the cross and follow Christ. We ask in his name