Hard work yesterday has to be followed up with hard work today to guarantee tomorrows prosperity. How our work continues to shape God's creation. The Pattern for Life and Love -- Diligence The ground was covered with weeds and the stone wall was in ruins. It is a very lowly virtue. D, Scripture: Dont try to make money by deceit or fraud. II. Obtaining money to help others is a noble goal and ideal (, However, wisdom is superior to money, as are most spiritual pursuits (, Make sure you do not use your ambition to build a defense and help others as a cloak to pursue a, Ultimately, you must trust in the Lord, not riches (. The lambs will provide you will clothing and goats with the price of a field. Since the UK is now no longer a member of the EU, you may be charged an import tax on this item by the customs authorities in your country of residence, which is beyond our control. In Scripture diligence is highly commended. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, Denomination: Find stories, quotes, humor, and statistics to bring your sermon on Diligence to life. Acts 9:1-22. So he sold his restaurant and the motel and went into the chicken spice business. It is the word employed to describe the murderous hurry with which Herodias came rushing in to the king to demand John the Baptist's head. A great need comes upon him, which required time to prepare precious time that he has twiddled away and so, his life falls into ruin. 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. We serve a big God. Diligence is closely aligned with the concept of work. Love what you do as a vocation, regardless of what it is. It is so easy to just stay in bed, sleep a little longer, watch a few more minutes of TV, facebook just 5 more minutes, play one more level of a video game, etc. he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men (Proverbs 22:29). He wants somebody to spoonfeed him. I knew a brother who thrived in the work place, because he happily accepted all the inglorious positions that everyone else disdained, but yet through his zeal, determination, and optimism, he reinvented and refashioned the positions into those that were the most cool and sought after by those that followed him. Place of Israel in the Gods Plan of Salvation read more, Scripture: Another of the phases of the virtue, which Peter here regards as sovereign, is represented in our translation of the word by 'earnestness,' which is the parent of diligence. Proverbs 21:5, Denomination: Even after the day is done, children do not go away. There was a sign up that said, Visit the original Kentucky Fried Chicken. We went there and found out that it was a regular KFC, but besides being a restaurant, it was also a museum. [Proverbs 10:26; 19:15], 15. Whether one works and how one works are matters of right and wrong before God! Even with a difficult, yet important endeavor, it's best to jump in and do the grunt work, get in your groove, and see it out to completion. Our American cultures strong sense of work ethic can be traced to our countrys religious roots (Tocqueville, Franklin, Adam Smith, Max Weber), which was previously supported by education and the arts. Both exceptional and everyday experiences with the living Christ are good and necessary in accomplishing Gods work in and through us. It is the way of total financial collapse, the way to wasted days, wasted weeks, wasted months, wasted lives. Do it. Yes, some have more than others, and no, my experiences do not enable me to exactly or completely sympathize with your own. Life would not always be hunky-dory, we got to roll up our sleeves and be ready to dirty our fingers! Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations are from the New King James Version, copyright 1994 "Work is like an armour that protects a person against afflictions, and diligence is like a sword that wards off misfortune." Another scholar said: "Nothing is better than having a reason that is adorned with forbearance, a deed that is adorned with knowledge, and forbearance that is adorned with truthfulness!" Some scholars have said: 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. IV. The greatest success and wealth pertains to riches not of this life. Of one fellow-worker, Paul said, "And we . (Proverbs 4:20-27) It may, however, be misguided. It is employed, for instance, to describe the eager swiftness with which the Virgin went to Elizabeth after the angel's salutation and annunciation. The wise woman, whom every man seeks and hopes to marry, is depicted as industrious, like so: Love does whatever it takes to succeed (within obvious reason). We are also called to honor and obey our heavenly Father-this is the highest obedience. Give careful attention to your herds. Be willing to push yourself. Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6). The easy way is saying take it easy, slow down, back off, dont have a heart attack. read more, Scripture: read more, Scripture: Be skilled in what excites you in life, because once you have determined what it is that God has gifted you to do, if you will become skilled at it, you will not serve before obscure men. 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. We must not only press on all points, but we must endure, Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize No Dissipation, Mans life is of limited earthly span and resources. The easy way is the way of saying the boss isnt around, nobody is seeing me, it is good enough for government work. SERMON OUTLINE: You're Preaching, But Do You Know Who's Listening? Diligence is the ability to maintain productivity in all seasons (Proverbs 27:23) 5. Copyright 2021, Institute in Basic Life Principles ~ Privacy Policy~ Terms and Conditions~Log In. He just rolls over and puts the pillow over his head and doesnt get up in the morning. Hard Work and Providence Title: Drama and Diligence Baptist. Break down the project into smaller, more manageable portions. Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity (II Peter 1:57). There is not much work out there. Man may not always observe how we work, but God is always watching, and He is our ultimate Master. Rise up early and work until late. I am talking today of working hard for the Lord! If we will put it forth, then the gifts that God has given, and which are not really ours unless we put it forth, will pass into the very substance of our being, and unfold themselves according to the life that is in them; even the life that is in Jesus Christ Himself, in all forms of beauty and sweetness and power and blessedness. What a beautiful ideal of Christian life results from putting together all these items. Diligence almost always leads to a good end. read more, Scripture: [Proverbs 16:26; 19:14; 21:5; 26:15], 11. Work is our place of God's provision and a place of witness. Do the right thing at the right time, avoid distraction. Pastor Felix teaches on diligence. Five characteristics of Difference Makers in this world. Try to stand up right when the alarm clock goes off. In Scripture diligence is highly commended. I am struck with how much Proverbs has to say about hard work. The Season of Easter Series: When Jesus Shows Up During the Season of Easter we .read more Scripture: Acts 9:1-22 The same idea is seen when it comes to the quality of diligence. Certain tasks must be accomplished first. This vanishing cultural work ethic emphasizes: Although work ethic and some of these words are foreign to our English translations of the Bible, most of the underlying concepts and virtues are taught by Scripture, which is our text and standard for Christians. Romans 16:12.Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 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. Certainly not! In a time of economic crisis, many people today would love some hard work! Industry, thoroughness, attentiveness. We must gather ourselves together under the impulse of an all-pervading and noble earnestness, too deep to be demonstrative, and which does not waste itself in noise, but settles down steadily to work. God waited patiently, hoping for mankind to repent while Noah was building the ark (I Peter 3:20)God specifically worked with mankind for 120 years before sending the flood (Genesis 6:3)Question: What do we mean by the terms, "diligence", "work . God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit were actively working through some preacher during these years of Divine longsuffering (, Only Noah and his family were saved after this time period (, Therefore, unless other preachers worked during this period and died before the flood, Noah and his family would have been the only shining light, which is corroborated by Gods approval of Noah (. If you do, God will punish you, sooner or later. What does the Bible say? Features Pricing Upload Sermon Get started for FREE. Truly, when you have diligence, you do have real power. Consider how your employer would evaluate you if his assessment was based on your work ethic in ministry. Realizing that giving up will only lead to regret and frustration. 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. Outline: 1. Understand that in working on anything you are creating future opportunities for yourself. And whatever. Somebody said to me, Well, what about the work-aholics? I answered, One sermon at a time, please. our society who think May our observable work ethic open doors unto Bible study and conversion rather than close them. We have been looking at the spiritual gifts of the Body of Christ in Romans 12: prophecy (speaking Gods Word to others), Invest early and invest often. Theyre known to dig their curved claws into a tree branch and hang without effort for hours-on-end; they are as unmotivated as they look! [Proverbs 11:29; 15:22, 32; 18:15, 22; 19:20; 21:16], 10. Notice the use of soul to describe the diligent man. Through God's grace we have been given His virtues, gifts which we must . When haste degenerates into hurry, and becomes agitation, it is weakness, not strength; it turns out superficial work, which has usually to be pulled to pieces and done over again, and it is sure to be followed by reaction of languid idleness. Pro 6:7 They have no leader, chief, or ruler, We should have a thankful and helpful disposition for our labor and during it, described as goodwill in the above passage (see also. One of the most talked-about shows on television today is called, The Office. Ephesians 6:1-9, Denomination: 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. If we are to be 'found in peace,' we must be 'found spotless,' and if we are to be 'found spotless' we must be 'diligent.' The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute (Proverbs 12:24). When you are asked to serve in some way, dont attempt to take the path of least resistance (because of laziness). 4/25/2010 Through His Son, Jesus Christ, God graciously provides believers with . Let the records show I am in favor of vacations. 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. For myself personally, I have found that the middle of any project can rather be the difficult part, especially if I look up and around with the dreaded realization, I am not even half done yet. (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. 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. Christian/Church Of Christ. 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 Strive for a healthy balance between your work and your family life. Michael K. Farrar, O.D. The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious (Proverbs 12:27). . But for all that he is not a bit afraid of putting the other side of the truth, and saying to us in effect. . "My heavens, open by fire now, in the name of Jesus." 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