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And please just give us ears to hear it in Jesus name we pray. Amen Amen, okay. We're in Hebrews chapter number six this morning looked down at your Bibles in verse number ten It says for God is not unrighteous To forget your work and labor of love which you have showed toward his name and that you have ministered to the Saints and do minister and we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope and to the end that you be not Slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises and this morning We're gonna continue our series on proverbial personalities the different individuals that we see highlighted in the book of Proverbs last couple weeks We highlighted the the simple the full the strange woman and the angry man this morning We're gonna cover the slothful man. And what is a slothful man? Well, let me give you just a brief definition of what a what it means to be a slothful Person a slothful man is an individual who avoids exertion He possesses the desire to accomplish but lacks the drive to do it. He is lazy and Disinclined to work. Okay. So a simple way to describe the slothful man is just a lazy bum According to the Bible now go with me if you went to Proverbs go to the book of Proverbs if you would Go to Proverbs chapter 12. I'm gonna read you from a couple verses verses in the book of Proverbs We see in Hebrews chapter 6 that the Bible tells us That God wants us to be diligent until the full assurance of hope unto the end He wants us to occupy till he comes He wants to work and to occupy and to stay busy and to be diligent Until the very end and he says don't be slothful Don't be lazy, but follow them who through faith and patience inherit the promises So this is obviously a virtue to have this matter of diligence is a virtue to have and it's actually sinful to be lazy It's actually sinful to be slothful or to be a sluggard now as I mentioned the slothful man It's not that he doesn't have any desires Because the Bible actually says in Proverbs 21 verse 25 the desire of the slothful so he does have desires he has Aspirations he has goals He has things that he wants to do but the Bible says this the desire of the slothful killeth him for his hands Refuse to labor. So he has a desire. He has the the the the want Okay to want to do something to accomplish something Significant but the reality is is that he's just lazy and he cannot do it his hands Refuse to labor which is interesting because shouldn't we be telling our hands what to do? Not the other way around is just like man. I want to do this and his hands are like, well, I don't It's like I don't you know Proverbs 13 4 says the soul of the sluggard sluggard and slothful are used interchangeably in the Bible a Sloth you think of an animal that the the sloth who just moves very slowly. He has moss that grows on his back I mean, he's so slow that bacteria just grows on him just by doing nothing right a slugger do you think of a snail okay moves slowly and It's it's a it's a verse to salt Okay Just as the slugger the individual doesn't like to be told that he's lazy and he's a bum and he needs to get to work The soul the slugger desire at the Bible says and half nothing so desiring something doesn't get you anything Understand just because you want something just because you desire it just because you have an appetite for it You know doesn't mean you're actually going to obtain it says the soul of the slugger desire It didn't have nothing but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. What is that telling us? Well, the person who is diligent desires, but he actually does something to actually get what he wants Okay and that is the contrast of the sluggard or the slothful man as I mentioned laziness is actually a sin in the Bible and The Bible tells us in Matthew 25 Verse 26 his Lord answered and said unto him thou wicked and slothful servant thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not and Gather where I have not strawed now. Why is laziness a sin? Why is it sinful to be a slugger to be a sloth? well because of the fact that the Bible tells us therefore to him that knoweth to do good and do with it not to him in his sin and The key word there is do Right. So if you know, what is the right thing to do? You know that you're supposed to go to work, you know, you know, you're supposed to bring home the bacon You know, you're supposed to do your homework, you know, you're supposed to clean your room You know, you're supposed to throw out the trash, you know, you're supposed to do these tasks, but you don't do them The Bible says to him in a sin Because you know what's right to do now, this is applicable in all areas of life It's applicable at your job. It's applicable to you as a wife as a homemaker. It's applicable to the man who's the breadwinner It's applicable to the Christian when it comes to Christian disciplines, right? Why is it that a lot of people, you know, don't read their Bibles? Is it because they know they don't know they're supposed to read their Bibles? No, of course, everyone knows All Christians know they're supposed to read the Bible All Christians know they're supposed to pray all Christians know they're supposed to be in church But they don't do it. Why because they're sometimes they're just lazy Why is it that a lot of Christians don't show up to church on Sunday morning? Laziness Right, they wake up and just like I'll go to Sunday night instead And then Sunday night comes around. Oh, I'll just go to Thursday instead Why you know, obviously if they're sick or something like that, if you're projectile vomiting then yeah stay home But a lot of the times one of the biggest reasons because people are just being lazy They don't want to get out of bed They don't want to you know, get dressed and get their Bible and come to church and actually learn something from God's Word This is why the Bible tells us that this is a sin God expects us to be an industrious people Okay a people of activity a people who are constantly occupying and Doing something with our lives the Bible tells us for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. God created us to work spiritually He created a man to work He created us to be people who are occupying and be industrious and do something with our lives Titus 3 14 says and let ours Also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses that they be not Unfruitable don't be a lazy Christian. Okay, don't be a lazy husband. Don't be a lazy wife Don't be a lazy son or a daughter. We need to learn a good work ethic in all areas of life Okay. Now, let me give you a couple characteristics of the slothful man Number one you're in proper chapter 12 first and foremost a slothful man does not lack the resources necessary to succeed Let me just get that out of the way first and foremost Because here's the thing a lot of slothful people were lazy people and I'll get into this later on they're good at making excuses Well, you know, I didn't grow up with the dad. I didn't grow up with the mom I didn't grow I grew up in a bad neighborhood I'm not as smart. I'm not as fit. I'm not as tall I'm not as you know, you fill in the blank and they got the excuse for it. I Don't have these resources. My mom and dad were not rich, you know, we grew up poor or whatever They think that their lack of resources is the reason why they're not succeeding in life Okay, look at the Bible says in Proverbs 12 verse 27 the slothful man Roasteth not that which he took in hunting. So let me ask you was the animal available Was the food available Was the turkey available? Where's he at? He's out there somewhere. He's probably smoking another turkey, you know He's roasting that which he took in hunting He's smoking that what she took in, you know, the the animal product is available But the problem is it's easier to shoot it or whatever It is that this guy did Then to actually skin it and and get it ready and roast it because that takes more work Right, and so we see here that this guy's not lacking a resource of food or of animals What he's lacking is the character to actually prepare the food Thereafter it says the slothful man rose roasted not that what you took in hunting, but the substance of the diligent man is Precious it's not that the lazy person has less resources than others They're just not good stewards of the resources. They already have Okay, everyone has resources. We all have Resources we all have something going for us. We were all Given some sort of inheritance whether it's character or a way of thinking or tenacity We all have something that has been imparted into us that we can use and steward to become successful You say well, I have less than others then get some more. I Don't have as much character then get some character. Well, you know, I didn't know these things didn't know those things Well, you know, I'm not as smart then open up a book and read it, right? Well, I don't know a whole lot of Bible then you know what we got plenty about how many Bibles you need I mean you only need one You know, I don't know how to work then get a job and learn how to work You know, I just don't know these what it is is they're just excuses is what it is You see we live in a society today where a lot of people have this victim mentality Where it's just like oh woe is me, you know society hates me because of my skin color Society hates me so I'm gonna join BLM or something so I can get people to feel sorry for me or whatever That's nonsense folks You know, I'm not for BLM. I'm for you know Baptist whatever we got going on Baptist Church and movement You know That's what I'm for We should recognize the fact that if we're Christians we have everything available to us The Bible says that we have God has given to us everything that pertains to life and godliness Great and precious promises whereby we might be partakers of his divine nature. That's what the Bible says So if these things are available to us, we have no reason why we can't accomplish something great for God There's no reason why we can't be people of character People who work people who actually succeed and excel in life the substance of the diligent man is Precious be a good steward of that what you have Stop making excuses as to why you can't be in church. Stop making excuses. Why you can't read the Bible Well, I'm not a really good reader. Well, you know how you can become a really good reader by reading There you go Well, you know, I'm just uh, I just I'm scatterbrained That's why I don't pray that much then, you know turn off the TV or turn off social media, you know, learn how to focus Okay, we have everything at our disposal To be able to succeed in the Christian life the Bible says in Proverbs 18 verse 9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him. That is a great Waster so the person who did not roast that what she took in honey. What do you do? He wasted it I just let it die. Okay, I Heard this quote it says life is not about obtaining a good hand but about playing a bad hand. Well You know a lot of us might have been dealt a bad hand in life You know where you know if we were to take inventory of all the events that took place in our life and Things that are happening in our marriage or with our kids or whatever may be you may look at that hand and say it's a bad Hand, but you know what? God doesn't look at you and say oh man. I didn't give this person a good hand They look God looks at you to make sure that you do well with the hand that you already have I mean you look throughout the Bible. There's plenty of people in the Bible who were dealt a bad hand Joseph was dealt a bad hand a A Really bad hand. I mean his brothers sold him into slavery. They faked his death He's lied about I mean for years folks years this went on for years But you know the Bible says the Lord was with him And when ended up happening to Joseph where he was he's like, oh man I'm just gonna join some movement that can help me just like just feel sorry for me or something like that You know, I'm gonna join another nation another religion no, he He still feared God. He still did that which is right and he ended up becoming the vice-pharaoh of Egypt And preserving many people alive because of the fact that he was a man of character Okay, he didn't he was that fruitful beau the Bible says You know that succeeded and excelled in spite of affliction in spite of you know The things that he went through go with me if you went to judges 18 the slothful man It's not that he lacks any resources to become successful He's just not a good steward of the resources. He already has Okay, you're in judges 18. I'm gonna reach you from Proverbs 24 verse 30 says I went by the field of the slothful I listen to that statement. I Went by the field of the slothful now. Does anybody here own a field? Well, apparently the slothful guy does So is he lacking resources he has a field Now How he obtained it, I don't know maybe right inheritance who knows maybe he bought it But that really doesn't matter he says I went by the field of the slothful by the vineyard of the man void of understanding and low it was all grown over with thorns and Nettles had covered the face thereof and the stone wall thereof was broken down So even though he's given a field where he can grow crops. He can get his resources. He can grow food He can do so much. It was just all grown over with thorns. What was he doing? He's a bad steward of the resources that was given to him. So don't think well if I had that much money or if I had that car or if I had that house or if I had X Y & Z I'd be able to Just excel beyond no if you're not excelling with what you have now, you would not excel then either That's just the bottom line. Okay, look at judges 18 verse 7 Judges 18 verse 7 says then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people that were therein How they dwelt careless after the manner of the Zydonians quiet and secure and there was no magistrate in the land That might put them to shame in anything and they were far from the Zydonians and had no business with any man And they came unto their brethren to Zorah unto Eshol and their brethren said unto them What say ye and they said arise that we may go up against them for we have seen the land and behold It is very good. Are ye Still be not slothful to go and to enter to possess the land. So what's going on here? Well, the tribe of Dan is still looking for their inheritance to possess Okay, and they come across this land that doesn't have any magistrates. The people are kind of like hippies They're just kind of dwelling carelessly You know their flower they got the flower power going on over here and they have no business with any man So they're like dude, this is right for the taking The only way you're not gonna be able to take the city is if you're just being slothful because it's so easy to just go in there just destroy them kick their butts and take their land and Take the inheritance that belongs to you. This is why he says why are you still? Like what are you still doing here? Why are we even talking about this? You should have been gone a long time ago. That's this is easy But you know what lazy people can't even do the easy things They can't even do the least the easy things it says it is very good Are you still be not slothful to go into entrance to possess the land when you go? you shall come to a people secure into a large land for God have given it into your hands a Place where there is no want of anything that is in the earth So basically is the same it's so easy God's already given it to you All you have to do is actually go in there and take it Only a lazy slothful Sluggard bum would not be able to accomplish something like that and let him and not be said of us as Christians that we can't even Do the easy things in the Christian life, right? You know the hard things persecutions hard, right? Being slandered and persecuted and our lives being threatened. That's kind of hard. You know, it's easy coming to church No, it's hard no, it's easy you just have to sit there and listen to me scream at you for an entire hour That's actually really easy You actually and you get to sit All you have to do is sit down I mean the chairs are cushiony We give you coffee beforehand. They give you they give you smoked turkey To get to get your brain some protein right And when it's hot we can throw on the AC for you When it gets too cold, we can turn it off. I Mean the conditions are just like perfect Right. Is that really hard? It's coming to church really that difficult. No, it's actually one of the easiest things to do in the Christian life The hard thing for some people is just to get out of bed Right. The hard thing is just to like to get ready. But once you're here, it's easy Look, you don't even have to sing that good in church All right, you just you just kind of try to blend in with everyone else you know if you hit a bad note then just look to the person to the left of you as if they're the ones who's saying the bad note like It's easy You know, it can be hard sometimes is reading your Bible that could be hard sometimes You know praying can be hard sometimes But it may not be said that it's it's hard for us to do the easy things in the Christian life This is easy. Hey, so winning can be hard, but you know what being a silent partner is easy Being a silent partner is extremely easy. You say what do you do nothing? You go with the person who does something No, I'm not saying you don't do anything. Absolutely anything at all. You know, you're obviously praying you're encouraging your soul any partner You know, you're you're you're walking. You're you're accomplishing the work. And in fact you even get rewarded for it. Can you believe that? You get rewarded by God for just being a silent partner Right. I mean that's easy The slothful person says no, that's hard That's so hard to do like just Walking it's so cold out. It's so hot out. It's too perfect out The Slothful man is not a good steward of the resources that he has. It's not that he doesn't have any resources He's just not a good steward of that which he already obtains. So, you know, don't look at the things that you don't have You know take inventory the things that you do and you know excel at those things. Okay Turn with me if you would to go to Joshua chapter 17 Joshua chapter 17 By the way, you know The Bible says this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth But thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written They're in for then thou shalt make that way prosperous and then now shall have good success So we have the greatest resource to ever be successful as human beings here on this earth and that is the Bible And the Bible says that if we meditate upon this we learn the Word of God We're doers of the word not hearers only we shall make our way prosperous we will have good success We will excel we will achieve we'll do something significant with our lives But it requires for us to read the Bible. It's a promise from God. Amen But number two, not only that so the slothful man does not lack resources to become successful He's just not a good steward of them. Number two the slothful man. He does work hard At making excuses That's the only thing he has a good work ethic for The sloth woman has the greatest work ethic when it comes to making excuses Okay He has a good work ethic when it comes to rationalizing why he can't do what he should do The Bible says in Proverbs 22 verse 13 the slothful man saith there is a line without I shall be slain in the streets Now there might be some truth to this because this is in the Middle East Where they got like stuff like that over there. They got like lions and wild animals, but I guarantee you this guy Probably never saw a line before in his life This is an excuse and let me just say this you there is no lines out here So you he he probably has more of an excuse to not go to work because there's the actual line than you do Right He said the sloth woman saying there is a line with that. What is he doing? He's making an excuse of the potential dangers that might lie out there. Oh, I might get COVID By the way, that's one of the reasons people sometimes don't go to church But they go to the grocery store They go to every other public place where there's a gang of people But for some reason Church is like yeah, but but Church there's so many people There's probably more people going through a grocery store in one hour And there are people that come to our church, right? Don't be lazy Did I did I step on some toes here? I Need to park it here for a little bit. I mean, isn't there great gatherings all over the place? Don't you go to restaurants? Don't you go to grocery stores? Don't you go to your family's house? You do it's like COVID doesn't hit there. But at first works. Oh good night It's rampant there You Well, don't be a sluggard and take care of your body Right, and if you get it, then you didn't you get it and you you know You let your body fight it and you move on with your life. I got it twice. I Got it twice And when I had the same time, I didn't tell you I came to church. I'm just kidding. I'm kidding No, I I didn't come I just recovered and that was it Just move on Okay, but you know, we don't want to be this the kind of people is just like oh there he is There's the roaster right there That you're smoking another turkey You know, we don't want to be the kind of people it's just like well, you know if I go out What if I get in a car accident or something? What if you know, oh man, there's dangerous people out there. Oh, man, I might get sick if I go Oh, man, something might happen. Yeah, you might die in your house, too What if God just strikes you dead at your house? The walls don't the walls of the house don't protect you from God's judgment, right? So you might as well just live a normal life Proverbs 26 16 says the sluggard listen to this is wiser in his own conceit Than seven men that can render a reason now. What does that mean? Well when it says that he's wiser in his own conceit, it means that in his mind the sluggard there's nothing wrong with him You know he creates this imagination of who he thinks he is Like yeah, of course. I'm not gonna do that. I can I can I'm gonna do that like next month I got this entire plan set out. He's wiser in his own conceit So you can't really tell a sluggard someone who's truly a sluggard or a lazy person You can't really tell him to get to work because in their mind. They're like well. I'm going to someday sometime They justify their laziness is what they do right okay look at Joshua 17 verse 15 and Joshua answered them if thou be a great people by the way, I like how he starts that sentence Like if thou be a great people Like oh, man Then get thee up to the wood country and cut down for thyself there in the land of the parasites and of the Giants if Mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee Because you know they didn't like the previous land. They're like. Oh, this is too small. We want something bigger it's like okay, then go over there cut down all the trees and all the wood and Own that if you want and the children of Joseph said the hill is not enough for us And all the Cain and I said dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron both they who are of Bethsheon and her towns and they who are of the valley of Jezreel and Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph even to Ephraim to Manasseh saying thou art a great people and has great power Thou shall not have one lot only But the mountain shall be thine for it is a wood and thou shalt cut it down and the outgoings of it shall be thine For thou shalt drive out the Canaanites though they have iron chariots and though they be strong So Joseph and Manasseh these tribes They're complaining about what they have, but they're not willing to work For that which they want They want something better, but they want someone else to work for them. They have this welfare mentality Right they have a welfare mentality. They have this bum in the street off the 405 or 91 freeway asking for money Right they want you to give to them for free That which you work for Because it's too hard for them to do it You know what ticks me off more than anything is when you see an able-bodied 20 year old Off the freeway with some nice clothes on You look like you got yourself some Air Force Ones there, buddy Got designer clothes on asking for money. He said what do you want to do? I want to slap him I Don't I don't slap him, but I'd like to I Remember one time this is I don't know the party last year like after a church service We went to go get Little Caesars from my family, and I like on a Sunday night or something And You know we're getting home. We went to go get some Little Caesars Which is the most delicious unhealthy pizza there is right? I'm not saying it's not delicious. It's good. That's where we're there so we went to go get it right and then you know I ordered two boxes and I'm and I oh no. I'm sorry. I'm walking in and it's very large man. I'm being nice here Says hey, can you buy me something I said no, I'm getting dinner for my family So I walk in I get that and I come out and he goes oh two boxes for like your family yeah, right I Said actually I'm eating both of these myself He's like like he's like trying to shame me for not increasing. You know his fat He's trying to shame me for not spiking his insulin or something like I owe him Something like he's trying to guilt-trip me. It's like dude You picked the wrong guy to try to guilt trip because I don't feel bad about that at all The only guilt that I would have afterwards is that I didn't I wasn't meaner to that guy. That's the only You know you walk away. You're like man. I should have said this You guys ever have that when you get out and it's like man fine, and then you say it in the car You're like yeah, that would've been good right there That's the only thing I would feel bad about that. I didn't say it when I should have and Then you're at home. You're like or this one would have been really good to say It's kind of like you know that's the only thing I feel bad about I'm not like oh man that poor fat guy Didn't I didn't buy him any any cheese sticks or pizza? He's probably his body's quite eating his own fat right now He's probably gonna lose some weight now You think I feel bad about that But that's that's how these people are folks, and this is what Joseph and Manasseh are doing and You know what you know Caleb is telling him. He's saying look Even though they have iron chariots iron chariots are pretty pretty bad That means you just got to work a little harder You know some things in the Christian life are hard It doesn't mean you can't do it It just means it requires a little more effort on your part to do it because it feels easy everyone would be doing it So the hard or the more The greater rewards are reserved for those who are actually willing to put in the work to get them I Guarantee you you know in the millennial range is gonna be a lot of people ruling but percentage wise You know in the scope of all Christianity not a whole lot because it requires work To keep God's commandments to keep the works into the end to serve the Lord it requires a lot of sacrifice and work But you know what the reward is far greater than the sacrifice And he's like look cut down the trees and once you cut down the trees you're gonna run into the guys with the iron chariots God is already with you. Just figure out how to destroy them. Don't make excuses. Just make it happen okay, and I like that attitude. I like the attitude of just make it happen because it requires for us to exercise our brains and be creative and Isn't our God a creator hasn't he given us a mind of witty inventions I wisdom dwell with prudence and find out knowledge of witty inventions It's a virtue to be able to be creative and to come up with witty inventions to to say you know what here's the roadblock But let's figure a way out of it Powers 15 19 says the way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns But the way of the righteous is made plain isn't that interesting you have this Joseph and Manasseh they don't want to cut down all these woods. It's like a hedge of thorns to them Oh, there's so much work to do you know, but the way of the righteous is made plain the way the righteous is like No, there's not a hedge of thorns because I'm about to cut everything down The person of character and diligence says there's no woods. There's not even iron chariots because I'm about to just kill everyone Who stands in our way and it's gonna be made plain? Proverbs 20 verse 4 says the sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold Therefore shall he beg and harvest and have nothing Like it's too cold to go out. It's too cold. It's too hot. You know it's always based upon the seasons Go to Ecclesiastes chapter 10 Ecclesiastes chapter 10 Hey, this is good this morning amen The slothful man does not lack the resources necessary to succeed He's just a bad steward of them the slothful man works hard at making excuses Obviously you know there's times when you just you just can't accomplish something just happens right. It's just like well. I failed at that Time to move on and figure out something else okay, but the reality, but but the truth is the slothful man That's all he does is make excuses. He just never accomplishes anything number three the slothful man will atrophy He will atrophy the slothful man will degenerate and waste away their inactivity will cause them to Deteriorate okay. They're so inactive. They're so lazy and slothful. They not only don't exercise their minds They don't exercise their bodies. They don't exercise their spirit They don't they're not they're not trying to do anything and therefore. They're just gonna waste away look at Ecclesiastes 10 verse 18 by much slothfulness The building decayeth and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through What is it saying well if you're not constantly keeping up with your house? It's just gonna completely just be destroyed Ladies have to constantly be doing laundry Especially the bigger the family gets more laundry you got an iron husband shirts You got to put away the clothes And then you got you clean up a mess and you walk away Then the kids go there, and they mess it up again, and you got to go again. You got to clean it up again It's like a constant kind of people who think oh, you're just like a housewife What do you do like watch soap operas? No, there's like work to be done at the house cooking meals You know what I mean? I mean my wife is basically operates like my secretary to a certain extent Because I have her doing like a lot of stuff and then aside from that She's got to take care of our four kids You know I got an operation going on here So she needs to make sure that she's keeping the home there and cleaning and cooking and it's a 24-hour job And you add on top of that Thanksgiving And all the extra things that come up. I mean it's it's a lot of work But if we just choose not to do anything the one happens the building will decay It'll go into atrophy now This is true for a physical building But it's true for our bodies which are often spoken of as a as a tabernacle as a sort of a building, okay? Go to first Corinthians chapter 9 if you would first Corinthians chapter 9 You know if you don't if you're if you're a lazy Christian spiritually you're just gonna decay Spiritually if you're not keeping up with your Bible reading you're not you're not you know accomplishing new goals You're not seeking to reach new goals hey folks 2021 is almost over I Love the end of the year you know why cuz it's a brand new year for new goals new accomplishments new growth Okay, I hope you have some goals for this coming year if you read your Bible once this year amen to that great job Read it twice In 2022 why not If you've read it twice read it three times Read it in Spanish Read it in a different language challenge yourself Spiritually, but not only spiritual, but challenge your mind You know what is something different that you can do in 2022 that you did not do this year Challenge yourself beyond your limit raise your lid don't be a lazy person. Don't just say well I'm just gonna do the status quo well You know what the status quo is fine for a brand new Christian But you know what the the the longer you've been a Christian the more you should challenge yourself Well I got so many other things to do I was at another point here about You know about excuses or something like that right Folks of course it's gonna be painful to do something new that's beyond your capability, but that's how you get stronger as a Christian right weightlifting You do not get stronger and weightlifting by doing the same amount of reps for months on end the same amount of weight for months on end It's like what if I just lift this if I just squat this just for the rest of the year I'm just gonna get strong. No you have to lift something heavier You have to do a leg day where the next day. You can't even like walk you walk funny That's how it's supposed to be Yeah, but that's painful. Yeah, but you know what that that equals growth That's how you grow. You know you got to break down the muscle you got to break down your brain You got to break down your body you got to you got to push yourself Beyond your spiritual capabilities if you want to reach a new level That's what should be done. Well. I don't know. I just I think I'm just gonna stick to the book of Proverbs. You know Read the whole thing Why not? You know if you're only accustomed to reading a chapter a day then bump it up to five If you're only accustomed to reading five chapters a day then bump it up to ten why not challenge yourself Don't be a lazy person don't be slothful. Don't be a sluggard you have a lot of potential To do great things, but you know you'll never accomplish those things if you just allow your your spiritual life to just atrophy It's good at the end of the year to take inventory of your spiritual life Say how am I doing you know obviously? I don't know a hundred percent how I'm doing, but you know if I were to just take inventory of how I'm doing you know Can I do better? Can I read more can I pray more can I win can my gospel presentation be a little better Okay, and don't say you know I want to win more people to Christ because obviously we can't control the actions of people who the recipients Of our presentation, but you can become a better soul winner by your presentation by the illustrations you use by the verses that you use Okay Don't allow your building to decay First Corinthians 9 24 says know you not that they which run in a race run all but one receive at the prize So run that you may obtain and everyone the striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things now They do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we and incorruptible I therefore so run not as Uncertainly so fight I not as one not as one to beat at the air But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection Let's by any means when I preach to others I myself should be a castaway Paul so Paul saying you know I'm gonna discipline my Body so I could be a better Christian okay? Look I'm gonna give this example you better not get proud either, right? John he just started like jujitsu like how long ago? Six months ago the guy just competed yesterday and just got first place. He just submitted the dude I Think that's great. I Saw that I was just like that's obvious. That's John Picks up just get some weird instrument. What is this? He's Like you know I think I'm just gonna get this instrument just learn how to play it and that's what he's doing I don't even know what this is What is this It looks like a like a like a warped saxophone or something But he just picks up the instrument. It's like. I'm just gonna learn it and he learned it no limits No excuses You know no you know I tell him I tell them hey I want this done for the Christmas program you got to play a piano John all right learns it. That's great And that's a great example. That's a great attitude You say why are you boasting on John because he's a youth and we should not despise the youth Right the youth should be an example to us and in fact. That's what John is doing He's being an example to people to challenge us as older people to you know what to push ourselves a little further Yeah, but he's got youth and us on his side yeah, but you got brains on yours though not that you don't John John has brains. He's a smart guy He's a very intelligent person, but you know if you're older. You're like well. I don't have youth on my side Yeah, but you have wisdom you have experience You have life experience Okay, you you have already learned listen to this you've already learned how to learn that That's a greater advantage than a lot of these young people because you've spent years learning so you know the best way to learn Okay, so don't have this excuse well. I'm not young anymore, so I'm just not even gonna try don't be a weenie Don't be a slugger don't be lazy And by the way what we're not competing against each other. We're competing against ourselves That's what we're competing against you know who I'm competing against against Bruce Bahia That's why I'm competing. I'm trying to be a better version of myself I'm trying to beat myself You know I'm trying to keep under my body Bring it into subjection I'm trying to beat the former Mahia to become better and not allow myself to decay to rot to deteriorate I want to be a better Christian The Bible says in Revelation 3 to be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die For I have not found thy works perfect before God Proverbs 19 24 says a slothful man Hideth his hand in his bosom it will not so much as bring it to his mouth again So why is the slothful man gonna decay and die because he's so lazy can't even feed himself He's like too far He's like it's hiding Any reason he's just like I'll just die instead. That's how lazy he is There's no one that exists like that today, but you do have uber eats Right and let me just say this I hate uber eats. Let me tell you why I hate uber eats People are content with uber eats because they bring the food to your door, but first of all sometimes It's like did you eat this? Fries were taken from here and stuff, and then it's cold So People are willing to sacrifice a warm meal just to get it at the front door, and it's cold I've never gotten an uber eats that was hot and warm and ready to go You know cuz the guy was picking it up. He's like taking his time Picking up a Starbucks on the way So I don't do over eats, okay Slothful man hide at this hand in his bosom was well not so much as bring he's gonna decay He's gonna rot. He is going to destroy himself. Don't destroy yourself. You know look Tuesday we're feasting okay So this is not some holier-than-thou hyper spiritual message. I'm feasting with you we're having mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese and Turkey and what else cranberry what ham? We're having all the goods then I'm gonna be I'm really gonna be Gordito I I'm having all that okay, cuz it's a it's a it's a time. It's a feast That's what we're doing, but we don't live like that folks right got to take care of our bodies We got to make sure that we we what we have new goals that we're trying to reach You know get out there take a walk lift weights men Powerlift go ride a bike go swim go do something go do jujitsu go take up take up Muay Thai kickboxing Do something amen don't allow yourself to decay and rot go with me if you would to Proverbs 19 Proverbs 19 Do not atrophy spiritually don't atrophy physically don't atrophy mentally Make sure and look no Christian should ever atrophy mentally because we're constantly reading the Bible and Reading feeds the mind it helps your brain, especially when you're making connections study the Word of God and memorize scripture Next the slothful man lacks drive The sluggard is deficient in motivation. He's not motivated to accomplish anything, but envies those who do This is due to no vision Sluggers are typically lazy because of the fact they have no vision for themselves They just don't see beyond whatever meal. They're gonna eat next or something Okay, they have no vision. They have no goals. They lack physical activity They have bad nutrition, and they get too much sleep Now who here likes to sleep I Mean he giveth his beloved sleep folks. That's what the Bible says, right? But there is such thing as too much sleep Okay, and the Bible tells us in Proverbs 19 15 slothfulness cast it into a deep sleep Now you know what's interesting is that hard work also will cast you into a deep sleep Yeah, interesting when you study, and you work hard that'll knock you out. You'll sleep like a rock Okay, but here's the difference is that hard work actually produces something It actually puts food on the table. It actually makes you better. It makes you excel and succeed whereas Slothfulness you wake up, and you're just a slothful if not even more slothful than you were before you fell asleep you Just become lazier you just become worse Degenerate an idle soul shall suffer hunger Ecclesiastes 5 12 says the sleep of a laboring man is sweet whether he little or much But the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep the difference is hard work pays off Go with me if you would to Let's see here Go to 1st Timothy chapter 5 if you would 1st Timothy chapter 5 So they lack drive They're not motivated Now look I understand you know sometimes if you don't if you don't have goals or something or you're not around people that have Goals let me just say this you become like the people you're around That's just simply how it works, so if you're a person of no vision if you're a person of small goals Then keep coming to our church Because we have people here Who do have vision they do have goals they want to meet and they will motivate you to do the same If you come here, you're like man. I am kind of lazy I don't I don't like I don't want to have a job then come here for a while and after a week or so you Will want to get a job because you're like man. This is shameful not having a job. I want to work I want to be a hard worker. I want to get a job. I want to be a manager I want to be a supervisor I want to succeed in my Christian life in life in general so get around people who are succeeding Get around people who are strong get around people who are actually accomplishing something, and it will rub off on you And Here's the proof of it. There's certain segments of our church that you have like a group of men that are all into the same thing Like right now. It's like jujitsu All these guys are doing jujitsu right now. Why cuz Vitor influencing everyone To be like a jujitsu guy, which is great. I think that's cool. I Think that's awesome, and I don't want to discourage that at all recruit more people You know I think that's great, but you know what if Vitor wouldn't have come and influenced people You know he wouldn't have gotten a first place or something because he probably would that probably been the furthest thing from his mind But because they're hanging around each other Now he wants that he has that same vision and now he was able to accomplish something that previously probably wouldn't have accomplished So get around people who are ahead of you in an area right Get with people who are succeeding Exceedingly in an area because that way that person can challenge you You know it's good to be around your contemporaries and to share notes and all that But it's good to be around people who are succeeding at something that you have not succeeded in yet You understand what I'm saying? What I have you turn person Get some drive get some vision get some goals Be a person of activity be an industrious young man, and the first thing you can do is get a job If you don't have a job Don't don't be a welfare, baby Young men don't don't try to look for the obama phone and and the welfare and the free money and a free ticket Be a per be a self-sustaining person a Self-governing self-sustaining man of character, and we need more young men to do that We need more young men who are people of character who say you know what forget all this like people taking care of and stuff I want to take care of people Right I Want to be able to tell my mom hey, I got you Let's go out to dinner on me I'll pay the bills. I'll take care of you. I'll be the man of the house. That's what we need People who are young men who are just responsible okay instead of being just a little weenie that you know you're just a victim of Society because you're brown and you're black and all this stuff and people you know look down on you because you're a Mexican or something like that and oh you're illegal or something and oh man You know you you know just all these stupid things that people come up with the reason why they can't excel my skin's too brown I Mean so what and What is what difference does that make can you get yourself a wife? Can you get a job? You know how to read your bible. Can you win souls to Christ? Forget your skin color who cares you can't change that just find a woman who likes dark skin They're out there. I'm sure I Mean I'm a little brown my wife like me. So there you go Nobody wants me though because I'm just so dark. I'm just so whatever where you're just not looking hard enough There's a lot of people in this world There's a lot There's a lot You're just not looking hard enough. Okay. You know remove those excuses get yourself some confidence get yourself some drive Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might yeah, but I'm not that buff or I'm not that tall I'm not that so what you'll find someone who likes you just the way you are And you know what if you lack in certain areas physically okay? Then make up for it in your personality then be a likable confident person Because confidence and personality they do go a long way right okay? That was free Look at the Bible says in first Timothy chapter 5 and verse number 11 She's but the younger widows refused for when they have begun to wax once and against Christ They will marry having damnation because they have cast off their first faith and while they learn to be idle Wandering about from house to house and not only idle But toddlers also and busybodies speaking things which they ought not I will therefore that the younger women marry Bear children guide the house give none occasion to the adversary to speak Reproachfully the Bible tells us in Proverbs 31 that the Proverbs 31 woman a virtuous woman. She doesn't eat the bread of idleness She's not consumed with idleness why because idleness leads to sin Least the laziness and slothfulness and sin so the Bible's telling us here in first Timothy chapter 5 That a person who becomes idle becomes busy busy doing housework nope a busy body a cheese Mosa a Tattler a gossiper. That's what they start doing So what is the what what is the the solution the solution is for her to get married and have children? Because then she'll have things to do diapers to change meals to make children to spank Go to Proverbs 6 excuse me Proverbs 10 Proverbs chapter 10. We're almost done here Number five the slothful man is unreliable don't hire a sloth don't hire a sluggard Don't depend on a lazy person to get anything done. They are very unreliable. They're the least dependable individual on the proverbial scale Look what it says in Proverbs 10 verse 26 as vinegar to the teeth and a smoke to the eyes So is the sluggard to them that send him There's a certain vinegar that if you put it on your teeth. It's gonna. It's gonna remove the enamel from your teeth And you know what you know what a slugger will do for your company remove the credibility from your company. It'll remove the enamel From your company remove the enamel from your business wife because they don't get things done. They're like smoke to the eyes Proverbs 25 19 says confidence in an unfaithful man in the time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a foot at a Joint now how many have ever had a broken tooth before? How many know the pain of that broken tooth? I had a broken tooth and man It's it's the most excruciating pain you will ever feel in your life it'll make a grown man cry and It's saying here that when you put your confidence in a lazy person. It's like that broken tooth You'll cry out of frustration Like why did I hire this guy go to Proverbs 6 Proverbs chapter 6 We'll go to Proverbs 6, and then we'll go to we'll go to two more verses and we're done Look at Proverbs 6 verse 6. It says go to the ant thou sluggard consider her ways and be wise Which having no guide overseer or ruler? Provided to me in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest see the sluggard is unreliable a supervisor Can't necessarily work with a person like that They need a guide, but they don't even work well under a guide because they're unreliable You have to micromanage a slugger if the micromanage a lazy person you have to be there constantly Watching over the shoulder making sure that they do what they're supposed to do Go to Proverbs Go to Proverbs 12, and then we're gonna go to Revelation 2, and that's it Here's my last point, and I hope this really challenges you Okay, this point that I'm gonna give you I hope that it challenges you to not be a sluggard not be a lazy person not be a sloth Number six the slothful man listen to this will never be in charge They'll Never be in charge now. There's something within each and every man that wants to be a leader Right we want to lead a family we want to lead a company you want to lead a church we want to lead a group of people and We want to be in charge. It's not a bad thing God gave us that desire But the slothful men will never be in charge They can never lead anybody Look what it says in Proverbs 12 verse 24 the hand of the diligent shall bear rule they rule But the slothful shall be under tribute The government's always gonna take care of them They'll always be under someone's authority now. We're supposed to be under authority But the Bible also tells us that we're supposed to lead The Slothful man is not only under authority. He's just under authority he could never lead He can't even lead his own family. He can't lead his own wife. He can't lead his children He can't lead out the Christians. He can't get people saved. He can't hold down a job He doesn't know how to make money. He doesn't know how to work. He can't why because he can't lead himself Right you know why the slugger can't lead others because he can't lead himself He can't tell himself what to do He knows he's supposed to read the Bible Can't get himself to do it. He knows he's supposed to pray can't get himself to pray He knows he's supposed to win souls to Christ can't get himself to win souls to Christ He know he's supposed to stand up for truth. Can't do it. Can't tell himself what to do. He can't lead himself and The greatest leaders folks listen first and foremost lead themselves You want to be a great leader first of all be a great follower of the Lord be a great follower of a man and Learn how to lead yourself how to discipline yourself to do what you don't want to do It's easy to do what you do want to do Easy to eat. It's easy to eat the good food, right? It's not that easy to eat liver Right I Mean you know after a while you get used to it But liver is not necessarily a prime rib Witness It's not necessarily the New York steak, but dang liver is good for you Man, it's packed out with nutrients Man, it's so good for you So you know what you should make yourself Bruce me here eat this now and like it I want you to smile when you eat it I Want you to eat it and go mmm. This is good. Thank you Sarah And Then I want you to tell her to make it again Make it again. Make it again. Make it again Make yourself do what your old man doesn't want you to do that's right Open up the Bible. I don't feel like reading your Bible. We're gonna read the Bible today You readings him man. That's good Can we stop at this chapter? No we're gonna read five more chapters now Just because you brought that up old man. We're gonna read five more Right make yourself do what you don't want to do Because the slothful man will never be in charge because he can't even charge himself Go to Revelation 2. He shall always be under tribute And look if you don't lead anybody in the church if you don't lead a wife because you don't have one you don't lead children You don't lead you know you're not a supervisor, okay, but you know the greatest person you could lead is yourself And if you can rule yourself, you're good to go. You're good to go All those other stuff is like extras God expects you you know what God doesn't expect for you to be a CEO He doesn't expect for you to be a pastor He doesn't expect for you to be some great leader that changes the world he expects you to lead yourself That's Who he expects you to lead more than anybody else Look at Revelation 2 26. Why look at verse 26 and he that overcometh and keepeth my works Unto the end to him will I give power over the nations? What is power means authority? I'm gonna make you a ruler look what it says in verse 27, and he shall rule them with the rod of iron now Jesus rules with the rod of iron But this is talking about the person the believer He says he shall rule them rule who the nation's with the rod of iron as The vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I received of my father He says I'm gonna give authority to these believers to rule the nation's Strictly zero tolerance and to break them as shivers But you it's gonna require for them to do to work But you can't expect someone to work if they don't rule themselves, so here's my greatest challenge to you for this sermon Today learn how to rule yourself Be a person who rules himself herself Okay, and then look obviously we don't have this down perfectly but learn some diligence Have some character. Don't be a lazy slugger. Don't be a slothful person rule yourself. Let's pray father We thank you so much for your word, and thank you for the admonishments and the instructions of the Bible Lord Help us Lord to be a people who maintain good works that are zealous of good works as you said in Titus chapter 2 help us to to to accomplish great things for you and Great things doesn't necessarily mean winning the whole world to Christ great things can simply mean to lead about a wife a sister To lead about children to lead a church member To lead themselves that's a great work, and I pray Lord. Did you bless us fill us with your spirit to do so in Jesus name Amen Amen if you take your song sheets out that were in your bulletin this song is called sinners ate by