Sermon Central
-
Procrastinate Tomorrow
Contributed by Jay Yousling on Jan 4, 2021 (message contributor)
Summary: Many people struggle with starting projects, starting something new, finishing a task, or just enjoying working hard. In Hebrews 6:9-12, the Spirit of God gives us some help with being diligent.
PROCRASTINATE TOMORROW
Looking at Diligence, Work, Plans, Ants, Counsel, and Workmanship
Jay Yousling,
“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.” Proverbs 22:29
I love this promise! To see this principle realized on a practical basis it requires some healthy choices. It requires developing a certain mindset. It requires developing an internal compass that makes a skilled person skilled. Have you ever heard of "executive function disorder’? It is a disorder disrupting higher level cognitive abilities such as self-regulation, prioritization of work, awareness of time, abstract reasoning, logical analysis, hypothesis testing, and cognitive flexibility. Please be careful with judging and labeling people as lazy or sluggards. There are many reasons for people having a difficult time moving forward, making decisions or acting. The key for us is to take healthy, helpful steps forward in our lives.
Do you want to achieve all that God wants for your life and are you willing to do anything, for however long it takes to complete God’s purpose, His mission for you personally? Do you want to want it?
Do you what is the most hazardous sport with the youngest mortality rate in the Olympics? It is the people in the stands watching, eating hotdogs and sugar drinks, cheering on others doing great things. People in the stands who sit there, for sixteen days, their arteries are hardening, their muscles atrophy, and all kinds of other stuff. The athletes are getting stronger. Why not be a participant in the grand business of experiencing a life of faith! Have you ever felt a huge 10,000-pound weight holding you back? You can’t get off the couch? You can’t finish the resume? You can't have that challenging conversation? You can't move? I have. I do. But I want it to be different. I want God’s help.
Do you want to live “highway living” or do you want to live “ditch living”? When I first got engaged to my wife, I was driving across Nebraska and for whatever reason, (I won’t get into all the details), I accidentally as I turned my head, I turned the wheel, and I found myself driving down the median of the interstate highway at about 65-miles an hour. I would recommend not ditch driving! There are better ways to live life. Sometimes we make choices in our lives and we choose to see life a certain way, that ends up … we ditch drive. God would really, really, really want us to learn how to drive on the highway.
On your outline, circle which one of these two lifestyle you want to live: DITCH-LIVING HIGHWAY-LIVING
In Hebrews 6: 9-12 the Holy Spirit give us some instruction when it says, “Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of (W) better things in your case—things that accompany salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to (I) imitate those who (S) through faith and patience (E) inherit what has been promised.
“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He’ll serve before kings and not serve before obscure men.” We’re going to be talking about being a wise worker. I want to give you an acrostic, W I S E, that I’ve been working on for decades that has helped me in this area of diligence, of fear, of sluggardness, of laziness, of being paralyzed, unable to move forward. Let me assure you. There is hope. There is help for you and me.
W – We are ___WORKERS________, designed and created by a worker. Be ____CONFIDENT____ of your identity in Christ. Act like the masterpiece you are!
“W” – Stands for: We are workers designed by and created by the supreme, heavenly Worker. We are workers created by a Worker. Be confident of your identity in Christ. Act like the masterpiece you are. If you’re a Christian, a believer, if the Spirit of God dwells within you, you have God in you. And so, who is that God? Is he a friend, is he a nice guy, is he a teacher? What is he? The first thing we know about God is that he was a creator, he had plans for seven days, he marked it out and he worked six out of seven days. He is a worker. Right now, God the Son, God the Father, and God the Spirit, are all working in your life. That’s part of who he is. He is a worker and we, therefore, are workers also.
