Sermon Tone Analysis

8208

commitment, to God

Commitment to God arises from faith in his promises, is expressed in worship and adoration and leads to obedience to his commands.

Commitment to God commanded

Dt 27:10; Jos 24:14; Ro 12:1-2 See also Dt 6:13; 10:12-13; 13:4; Jos 22:5 Joshua reiterates Moses’ commands; Jdg 6:10; 1Sa 7:3; 12:24; 1Ch 28:9 David’s instructions to Solomon; 2Ch 19:9; Jer 38:20; 1Th 4:1; 2Ti 2:22

Obedience to God’s commands as a sign of commitment

Dt 7:9; Jos 24:24; Ro 6:17 See also Ex 19:8; Dt 11:22; 1Ki 8:61; Ne 10:29; Ps 40:6-8 The reference may be to the ear-piercing that was a sign of slaves’ voluntary commitment to their masters; Jer 7:23; 11:3; 38:20; 42:6; Hag 1:12; Zec 6:15

Jesus Christ equates obedience with love: Jn 14:15; 15:10

Ac 5:29; Ro 2:13

Love for God and worship of him are hallmarks of commitment

Dt 30:6; Jn 21:15 See also Dt 6:5; 10:12; 11:1,13,22; Jos 23:11; Ne 1:5; Isa 56:6-7; Jer 20:12; Da 9:4; Mt 6:24 pp Lk 16:13; Mt 22:37 pp Mk 12:30

Benefits of commitment to God

Dt 30:20; 2Ch 16:9; Pr 16:3; Rev 2:10 See also Ex 19:5-6; 20:6; Dt 28:1; 1Sa 12:14; 1Ki 2:2-4; Ps 97:10; Pr 2:7-8; Isa 1:19; Jer 26:13

Examples of commitment to God

Abraham: Ge 22:17-18; Heb 11:8

Nu 12:7 Moses; Jos 22:2 the tribes who settled in Transjordan; 1Ki 15:5 David; 1Ki 15:14 pp 2Ch 15:17 Asa

Hezekiah: 2Ki 20:3; 2Ch 31:20

2Ki 23:25 Josiah; Ne 13:14 Nehemiah; Jn 13:37 Simon Peter’s good intentions

God’s commitment of gifts and tasks to his people

God’s commitment of gifts 1Co 9:17

God’s commitment of the faith to believers Jude 3

See also

1345 covenant

5375 law

8031 trust, importance

8223 dedication

8225 devotion

8248 faithfulness

8292 love

8403 commands

DILIGENCE.

Jesus an example of, Mark 1:35; Luke 2:49.

Required by God in seeking him, 1 Chr.

22:19; Heb.

11:6; obeying him, Deut.

6:17; 11:13; hearkening to him, Isa.

55:2; striving after perfection, Phil.

3:13, 14; cultivating Christian graces, 2 Pet.

1:5; keeping the soul, Deut.

4:9; keeping the heart, Prov.

4:23; labors of love, Heb.

6:10–12; following every good work, 1 Tim.

3:10; guarding against defilement, Heb.

12:15; seeking to be found spotless, 2 Pet.

3:14; making our calling sure, 2 Pet.

1:10; self-examination, Psa.

77:6; lawful business, Prov.

27:23; Eccl.

9:10; teaching religion, 2 Tim.

4:2; Jude 3; instructing children, Deut.

6:7; 11:19; discharging official duties, Deut.

19:18; saints should abound in, 2 Cor.

8:7.

Required in the service of God, John 9:4; Gal.

6:9.

Is not in vain, 1 Cor.

15:58.

Preserves from evil, Ex. 15:26.

Leads to assured hope, Heb.

6:11.

God rewards, Deut.

11:14; Heb.

11:6.

In temporal matters leads to favor, Prov.

11:27; prosperity, Prov.

10:4; 13:4; honor, Prov.

12:24; 22:29.

Christian Diligence, with the Blessings that attend it, in Opposition to Sloth, Security, Backsliding, &c.

PROV.

13:4 .—The

soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

SHOULD we apply these words to labour or learning, to trade or religion, to the concerns of this life, or that which is to come, still we shall find this sentence of Solomon true and useful; it is a remark well worthy of our attention, and our best improvement.

The son of diligence considered either as a man or a christian, is in a fair way to obtain the good things he seeks: His desire shall be satisfied, his soul shall be made fat, or filled with them, he shall increase in earthly possessions, he shall abound in knowledge and wisdom, or he shall grow rich in grace and the fruits of righteousness; but the slothful wretch shall be poor indeed.

In vain doth he sit with folded hands, and wish for the blessings of nature or grace, of time or eternity: The idle hand shall be empty still, he shall desire in vain, and shall never possess.

Diligence is the appointed theme of my discourse, the diligence of a man or a christian.

I shall endeavour first, to describe it in all the several parts of it, and then take a short survey of the blessings temporal and spiritual which attend it; and by the way, I shall give some occasional hints of the crime and the punishment of the contrary vices.

First, Let us enquire what are the several things which are implied in true diligence, whether it relate to the things of this life, or the life to come.

1. “Diligence includes the employment of every part of our time in proper business; and thus it stands in opposition both to sauntering and doing nothing at all, to trifling, or doing what is to no purpose, and to mis-timing the business which is to be done.”

Every person in the world has some proper business to do daily, for God, for themselves, or for the good of their fellow-creatures.

Mankind, even in the golden age of innocence, was not made for idleness.

Adam was put into the garden of Eden, to dress and keep it; Gen. 2:8–15.

and it is our duty wisely to enquire what is our proper work, and to employ surselves in it.

But how many idle creatures are there in the world that act quite contrary to this rule?

1.

How many do we find who saunter their lives away, and let their days, and months, and years run to waste in doing nothing at all, as though they were brought into the world to eat, drink and sleep, to gaze away life, and then to lie down in death?

O wretched abuse of these precious blessings, life and time!

“I must work, saith our Lord, while it is day, I must do the particular work, for which my Father sent me hither: the night is coming when no man can work:John 9:4.

Let us all be imitators of our blessed Jesus.

The business of the rich is to render their wealth useful to the good of the world, and to the interests of religion: The business of the poor is to labour to obtain their daily bread, and not be burdensome to their neighbours, nor useless inhabitants of the earth.

The business of a scholar is to improve his mind in daily knowledge; and as for all the learned professions, their business is to lay out that knowledge for the ease and happiness of mankind in this world, or the next.

It is the proper business of a sinner to seek after converting grace, to return to God by repentance, to secure his salvation by faith in the Son of God, and all instances of new obedience.

It is the proper business of a true christian to grow in grace, to adorn his profession with holiness, and abound in good works.

It is the necessary and daily business of a mortal and an accountable creature to prepare for death and judgment, that he may die in peace, and give up his account with joy, if he should be summoned away on a sudden.

Thus it appears every creature hath some proper business, both relating to this life, and the life to come: And therefore a sauntering and idle life is a high offence to the God of nature and grace, time and eternity.

2. “Trifling or wasting time in impertinences, is another vice contrary to this part of diligence.”

Doing nothing to the purpose, is little better than doing nothing at all: As if a youth designed for the study of divinity, should lay aside his bible, and spend his whole time in measuring squares and circles in mathematical figures; or if a man of trade, or an artificer, who must provide daily bread for himself and his household, should waste his days in coffee-houses, still learning, and still discoursing of the rights of election of the kings of Poland, or in adjusting the bloody quarrels between the Turkish and the Persian armies.

This is such an impertinence in the sight of God and men, as deserves the just reproaches of men, and punishment from the hand of providence.

To wear out those seasons in prating and tattling, which are appointed for useful labour or business, is a wretched abuse of time, and merits the frequent censure of Solomon the wisest of men.

The talk of the lips tendeth only to poverty, and a prating fool shall fall; Prov.

14:23.

and 10:8.

And too many there are who pretend to christianity, but they are only talking christians instead of being active in the duties of their appointed station, and their zeal for religion appears no where but in their tongues.

Others also shall be pronounced idle, and triflers at the bar of God, who lay out all their spirits in little controversy, perhaps about mint, anise, and cummin, or in vindication of rites, and forms, and ceremonies which God never appointed, while they neglect the weighty matters of the law and the gospel, justice and goodness, repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus, the correction of their tempers, and the amendmendment of their lives.

Again,

3. “Mistiming the various actions of life is another abuse of time, and contrary to true diligence.”

There is a time, saith the wise man, for every purpose under heaven, and every thing is beautiful in its season; Ec. 3:1, 11.

If we should be dancing at midnight and sleeping at church or seeking our diversions in a hour of business; if we should work with our hands, when the season calls us to our closets, or spend that time in reading and prayer, which is appointed for the labours and cares of the family; these are all failures in our duty, and contrary to the true diligence which the word of God requires.

That is but trifling or impertinence in one season, which is a necessary duty at another; nor will any works out of season prosper or succeed well, or be approved of God: And yet there are some persons so habitually guilty of this folly, that whensoever the certain season of any duty returns, they are ever beginning to do something else first, which perhaps they did not think of before, which would be much better left till afterward; Prov.

6:6–8.

Go to the ant, thou sluggard, who seizes the days of summer and fair weather, to gather her food, and hides herself at winter, and lives upon her former provisions.