The Lure of the Easy Way
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION:
Maybe you have been in one of these scenarios:
While in school you had forgotten about the big test coming up, and you notice that the seat is open next to the smartest kid in class. You decide to sit next to him/her just so that you might be able to get a sneak peek of their test paper.
You are at work and realize that someone gave you too much money, do you tell them about it or do you stick the extra money in your pocket.
Another time you are working and you know that there is a proper way to do something, but it will take too long. Therefore, you take all of the shortcuts you can and do your job wrong.
Or maybe you have a friend or family member that needs help, but it’s inconvenient for you to help at this time. So you tell them that you can’t and come up with a flimsy excuse just to try to get out of a situation without conflict.
It’s easy to think about these scenarios because they happen to people all of the time. Everyone here can relate to all of these examples in some form or fashion because you have had to personally deal with these ethical situations.
Did you choose the easy way and fall into temptation or did you choose the “road less traveled by”
Cheating
Cheating
According to the Pocket Dictionary of Ethics Cheating is:
The practice of fraud or deception with the intention of personal gain. Cheating can also be understood as unfaithfulness to one’s marital partner. A person who practices deception for personal gain is called a cheat.
Cheating was often associated with having an unfair balance.
Prov. 11:1
1 A false balance is an abomination to Jehovah; But a just weight is his delight.
Hos 12:7
7 He is a trafficker, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.
Amos 8:5-6
5 saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell grain? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and dealing falsely with balances of deceit; 6 that we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes, and sell the refuse of the wheat?
Micah 6:10-11
10 Are there yet treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and a scant measure that is abominable? 11 Shall I be pure with wicked balances, and with a bag of deceitful weights?
Cheating is a form of lying.
Many do not realize that when they cheat they are not really getting the good end of the bargain.
Many think that cheating will get them what they want, and in some ways it could, but it will take away the personal award of achievement.
You didn’t get there rightfully.
You didn’t deserve it.
Cheating , like lying, in essence is being deceitful in some form or fashion.
God despises those who use deceit.
Ps. 101:7
7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: He that speaketh falsehood shall not be established before mine eyes.
Prov. 14:25
25 A true witness delivereth souls; But he that uttereth lies causeth deceit.
Rom. 3:13
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; With their tongues they have used deceit: The poison of asps is under their lips:
In many ways all of the things that we are talking about this morning go hand in hand
Cheating can be found in many occasions of our next thought.
Stealing
Stealing
Stealing
From the beginning this has been abhorrent to the Lord.
Ex. 20:15
15 Thou shalt not steal.
There shouldn’t be any more conversation after this, but for many one verse just isn’t enough.
When God gave Moses the commandments stealing was mentioned.
Don’t do it.
Prov. 30:8
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies; Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is needful for me:
Eph. 4:28
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need.
The obvious admonition is to not steal, but the N.T. takes it a little further.
Not only should we not steal, but we are to work with our hands that we may be able to give to those who are in need.
Rom. 13:8-10
8 Owe no man anything, save to love one another: for he that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: love therefore is the fulfilment of the law.
Owe no man anything, except to love.
Don’t steal and don’t owe.
Cutting Corners
Cutting Corners
In 1993, four executives from a Florida rental car company were convicted and jailed for defrauding their customers. Using what con artists have long referred to as a “salami technique” (you slice off tiny pieces in hopes that no one will notice and that those little pieces will build up to a large amount of money over time), they cheated at least 47,000 customers over a four-year period. They had modified the computer billing software to overstate the size of the gas tanks on the cars. Then whenever a customer returned the car without filling it up, the gas charge would be increased to cover those “extra” gallons of gas purchased. It took a long time to uncover the scam because most of the customers were only charged small amount—sometimes as little as $2.00—and very few people noticed. (Source: Network World Security Newsletter, M. E. Kabay 07/24/02)
Col 3:23-24
23 whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men; 24 knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance: ye serve the Lord Christ.
Why do people cut corners?
Mostly is the result of some sort of laziness.
Prov. 6:6-11
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; Consider her ways, and be wise: 7 Which having no chief, Overseer, or ruler, 8 Provideth her bread in the summer, And gathereth her food in the harvest. 9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? 10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep: 11 So shall thy poverty come as a robber, And thy want as an armed man.
Prov. 26:13-16
13 The sluggard saith, There is a lion in the way; A lion is in the streets. 14 As the door turneth upon its hinges, So doth the sluggard upon his bed. 15 The sluggard burieth his hand in the dish; It wearieth him to bring it again to his mouth. 16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit Than seven men that can render a reason.
Cut corners to save money.
Ecc. 5:10-12
10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase: this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding of them with his eyes? 12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
Many people will cut corners when they are not the one who will have to reap the consequences.
Many will make sure that they have the nicest things, but may not care much about others.
Matt. 7:11.
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
You know how to give good gifts to your children. God knows even better how to give good gifts.
How would we like it if God gave gifts like we did.
Would God cut corners?
You’ve probably met some generous Christians before.
There are many within our congregation.
People who give and give, not expecting anything in return.
These kind of people are who we should all strive to be like.
These people will not likely fall into the temptation of cutting corners.
Let’s think about this spiritually?
Are we cutting corners concerning God?
Are we cutting corners in our giving?
Are we cutting corners in our service?
Are we cutting corners in our study?
List could go on and on.
Don’t cut corners spiritually, but make sure that you’re are doing everything with every fiber of your being (Col.3:23-24 - do it heartily as unto the Lord).
Lying
Lying
We know that lying is wrong and we have alluded to it several times within this lesson, but the fact of the matter is that lying has become such a part of culture that many do not recognize it anymore.
If you were to watch older shows (the black and white ones) you would see lying, but you would see the consequences of telling lies.
Many shows today glorify lying or make lying funny as if there are no moral consequences.
This was evident a few years ago while watching shows on Disney.
Many of the shows portrayed children lying in various ways and some times that meant lying for the greater good.
Lying shouldn’t be something that is portrayed as good.
God hates it.
Lying as described in the Bible.
Gen. 3:4
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
The serpent/devil lied to Adam and Eve!
Look at what is said of the devil.
John 8:44-46
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof. 45 But because I say the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convicteth me of sin? If I say truth, why do ye not believe me?
From the beginning this has been a problem.
Ex. 20:16
16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Bearing false witness is also a terrible thing.
Not only is it a lie, but someone else gets in trouble for what you’ve said.
Prov. 19:9
9 A false witness shall not be unpunished; And he that uttereth lies shall perish.
False witnesses were to be punished!
The Lord wants us to deal honestly with all men.
We can start with thinking about things that are good and pure.
Phil. 4:8
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
CONCLUSION:
I would like to share this famous poem by Robert Frost
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The Christian should be familiar with this thought, because Matt. 7:13, 14 reminds us that there are two ways that we get to choose in life. We have the broad way and the narrow way. One leads to destruction. The other to life.
How do we choose?
If we choose the broad way we choose the way of selfishness, sin and laziness.
If we choose the narrow way it is more difficult, but the end result is far better.
How do we choose that narrow way?
Hear - Rom. 10:17
So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Believe - John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Repent - Luke 13:3
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all in like manner perish.
Confess - Matt. 10:32-33
Every one therefore who shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Baptism - 1 Pet. 3:21
which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ;
Live Faithfully - Rev. 2:10
Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.
In the end we need to stand above what the world expects, and do what God expects.
Do we take the easy road or “the road less traveled by.”