Sermon Tone Analysis

Hebrews 6:9-12 “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

I. Intro

How many of you remember your first car?

How excited were you to drive it around town and show it off to all your friends.

I remember my first car.

It was a 1984 Honda Accord 4 door sedan.

It was a dreadful old car, but it got me around.

I remember i had that thing going all the time.

Any excuse I could get to keep that thing going, I would go, go, go.

I remember one time I was leaving work to come home.

My car wouldn’t go in reverse.

I was stuck in idle.

The car was designed to move forward, but it was stuck sitting still.

I checked my transmission fluid and it was empty.

So after I added the fluid, it was back moving again.

Did you know that most Christians are also stuck in idle?

(Raise hand) What do I mean by stuck in idle?

Well the day you were saved, you were commanded to go out into the world and preach the Gospel.

Matthew 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

Amen.”

This is not a suggestion!

I want you to notice and underline the first word in verse 19.

“Go” is a verb, it means to perform an action.

And you can’t 1go” by just sitting in your seat on Sunday morning, taking in God’s Word and not making disciples.

How can you receive the greatest gift known to man and not share it with somebody?

Or everybody?

This gift was not intended to be kept to yourself!

II.

What is “being idle?”

IDLE Not engaged in earning a living; depending on the labor and generosity of others for support.

Scripture distinguishes between those unwilling to work who should not eat and those unable to earn a living for whom the community of faith is responsible.

Hebrew wisdom literature frequently condemned idleness as the cause of hunger, poverty, and inadequate housing.

Ecclesiastes 10:18 “By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.”

According to Hebrew wisdom, the ideal woman “is never idle” but is an industrious, working woman who helps provide for the financial needs of her family.

Proverbs 31:27 “She looketh well to the ways of her household, And eateth not the bread of idleness.”

Let me give you some references to “being idle.” to be inactivated — verb.

to be or become idle, inactive, inoperative, or useless.

to inactivate— verb.

to cause something to become idle, inactive, inoperative, or useless.

idle— adjective.

not in action or at work.

idleness — noun.

the trait of being idle out of a reluctance to work. to be idle — verb.

to be or become marked by not being in action or at work.

III.

What does the Bible say about “being idle?”

It is forbidden

Romans 12:11 “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;”

Produces apathy (Apathy is when you lack motivation to do anything or just don’t care about what’s going on around you.)

Proverbs 26:15 “The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; It grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.”

Accompanied by conceit

Proverbs 26:16 “The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit Than seven men that can render a reason.”

While it is true that it is God who “carries us along” to maturity, it is also true that the believer must do his part.

We must not be lazy (“slothful,” the same word as “dull” in Heb.

5:11) but apply ourselves to the spiritual resources God has given us.

We have the promises from God.

We should exercise faith and patience and claim these promises for ourselves!

Like Caleb and Joshua, we must believe God’s promise and want to go in and claim the land!

IV.

Conclusion

The late Will Rogers had these lines engraved on a huge watch which he presented to David Rubinoff, the consummate violinist:

The Clock of Life is wound but once,

And no man has the power

To tell just when the hands will stop,

At late or early hour.

Now is the only time we own;

Love, life, toil with a will;

Do not wait until tomorrow,

For the Clock may then be still.