The Prescription for Spiritual Laziness

SCRIPTURE

Proverbs 24:30–34 NKJV

30 I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; 31 And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down. 32 When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction: 33 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest; 34 So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

INTRODUCTION

What is laziness

unwilling to work

lack of energy

idleness

Types of Laziness

Physical

Mental

Spiritual

EXEGESIS

Proverbs 24:30 NKJV

30 I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;

KJV says “slothful.”

Compares a lazy person to someone devoid of understanding. In other words, a lazy person is someone who doesn’t have or doesn’t use good sense.

Even ants have enough sense to understand the dangers of laziness:

Proverbs 6:6–11 NKJV

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, 7 Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, 8 Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest. 9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep— 11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

Proverbs 24:31 NKJV

31 And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down.

Notice something: he didn’t plant thorns or nettles or tear down the wall. All of this happened because he neglected his duty to care for the vineyard.

What is our duty as Christians?

Ecclesiastes 12:13 KJV 1900

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

A person will begin to neglect their duty to God when they begin to lose trust in Him.

As a person loses their trust in God and begins to neglect their Christian duties, the thorns and nettles begin to grow.

What do the thorns and nettles represent?

Matthew 13:22 NKJV

22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

Proverbs 24:32 NKJV

32 When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction:

We would do well to learn from our own mistakes and from the mistakes of others.

Matthew 25:24–29 NKJV

24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ 26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

Burying your talents before God is an act of spiritual laziness!

Proverbs 24:33 NKJV

33 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest;

God knows we need rest.

But this is speaking of intentional laziness.

“I can sleep on, someone else will take care of it.”

“I can continue to slumber, the work will still be there when I finally get motivated.”

“I’ll just fold my hands and rest because I’m tired.”

Proverbs 24:34 NKJV

34 So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

Physical laziness will result in physical poverty.

Mental laziness will result in mental poverty.

Spiritual laziness will result in spiritual poverty.

MESSAGE POINTS

5 Signs You Might Be Experiencing the Symptoms of Spiritual Laziness

Your Trust is Too Tiny

It all goes back to a lack of trust.

You don’t have _____ issues, you have trust issues.

Jeremiah 17:7–8 NKJV

7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

If you truly trust God with all your heart, you will produce fruit.

If you don’t trust God with all your heart, you will be like the withered fig tree.

Your Worship is Too Weak

Dead worship is a sign of a dead Christian.

I’m convinced some people wouldn’t move if we set the pews on fire.

Your Motivation is Too Mediocre

Some people need less motor in their mouth and more motor in their motivator.

The enemy of motivation is procrastination.

Your Prayer is Too Powerless

Powerless prayers avail nothing.

But the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

I will pray with my understanding and I will pray with the spirit.

Your But is Too Big

Spiritual laziness produces excuses.

Excuses are the devil’s stamp of approval on your spiritual laziness.

99.44% of all excuses are lies.

CLOSING

The Prescription for Spiritual Laziness

Grow your TRUST in God.

Strengthen your WORSHIP.

Put a little motor in your MOTIVATION.

Develop a powerful PRAYER life.

Get rid of that BUT.

ALTAR CALL