A)Wise Men Have Always Known That a Lazy Man Is

The Devil’s Workshop 498

Intro.1)Can you finish this statement?"Idle hands are the devil’s workshop"

a)Wise men have always known that a lazy man is

working for the devil, not for God.

b)The Bible calls a lazy man a “sluggard” or a “sloth”.

c)One summer, we saw a “Sloth Bear” at the St. Louis Zoo

(1)What a proper name

(2)While all the other bears were walking around & feeding, the Sloth Bear did nothing but lie around and sleep.

2)Matthew 20 teaches that God expects His People to be busy, working in His vineyard.

a)If we are, then we are the Lord’s Workman.

b)If we are lazy, then we are in “The Devil’s Workshop”.

3)How can we tell ifthis church is sluggish? (here are six clues)

I.The Sluggard’s Vineyard is Overgrown.

A.The sluggard does not take care of his business.

Proverbs 24:30-32 “I passed by the field of the sluggard, and by the vineyard of the man lacking sense; And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles, its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction.”

B.God wants His people to be diligent about his business.

Proverbs 22:29 “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will

stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men.”

II.The Sluggard’s Bed is Overused.

A.Proverbs 6:9-11 "How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When

will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest-- And your poverty will come in

like a vagabond, and your need like an armed man.”

B.Proverbs 24:33-34 "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of

the hands to rest, Then your poverty will come as a robber, and your want like an armed man.”

III.The Sluggard’s Sky is Overcast.

A.Have you noticed that lazy people can always find plenty of excuses

not to work? Solomon noticed that too:

Proverbs 20:4 “The sluggard does not plow after the autumn, so he begs during the harvest and has nothing.”

Proverbs 22:13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside; I shall

be slain in the streets!"

Proverbs 26:16 “The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven

men who can give a discreet answer.”

B.We must be careful about being too quick with excuses –

it may be saying to others that we are lazy.

IV.The sluggard’s Bills are Overdue.

A.It is a true saying: “Laziness and riches are not brothers.”

Proverbs 10:4-5 “Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but

the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.”

Proverbs 19:15 “Laziness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle man

will suffer hunger.”

B.Paul taught the 1st Century church: “If a man will not work,

neither should he eat.” II Thessalonians 3:10

V.The sluggard’s Tongue is Overworked.

A.Since he is too lazy to work, he has time to be a busybody

in other men’s matters.

B.II Thessalonians 3:11-12 “For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion & eat their own bread.”

C.I Timothy 5:13 “And at the same time they also learn to be idle,

as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but

also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper ...”

D.I Peter 4:15 “By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer,

or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;”

VI.The Sluggard’s Soul will be Overlooked.

A.On the Day of Judgment, the sluggard will desire to be chosen by God

B.But Jesus taught that some are too lazy and uncaring to help:

1.The hungry

2.The naked

3.The sick

4.The prisoners

C.These will be denied entrance into heaven

Matthew 25:41, 45-46 “Then He will also say to those on His left, Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels ... Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me. And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Concl.1)Let’s put the Devil’s Workshop out of business.

2)To do that we will need to:

a)Put in some OVER-time

Ephesians 5:16 “making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”

John 9:4 "We must work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it is day; night is coming, when no man can work.”

I Thessalonians 2:9 “For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.”

b)See that our obstacles are OVER-taken

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

c)See that our weaknesses are OVER-come

Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”

d)See that the Devil is OVER-whelmed

Revelation 12:10-11 “And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom

of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the

accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses

them before our God day and night. And they overcame him

because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of

their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.”

e)Make sure our love is OVER-flowing

I Thessalonians 3:12 “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.”

3)If we do these things,

the Devil’s Workshop will be closed forever.

4)If we don't … the Master's condemnation

will be something we do not want to hear …

Mt 25:26-30

You wicked and LAZY slave …

Throw out this WORTHLESSONE

into the outer darkness;

in that place there will be

weeping and gnashing of teeth.