The Blessings Of Work, The Enjoyment Of Leisure

INTRO.- ILL.- One time a minister was preaching about the importance of work. He told the congregation that they should praise God for the opportunity of working for their daily bread.

“But the Lord has seen to it,” he said, “that you don’t have to work every day. Because of Moses you have Saturday off, and thanks to Jesus you have Sunday off. ISN’T THAT WONDERFUL?”

“Sure is,” said a voice from a rear pew. He said, “FIVE MORE JEWISH BOYS LIKE THAT AND WE’D NEVER HAVE TO WORK AGAIN.”

I think there are many people in our society who would love it if they didn’t have to work. And frankly, I just don’t understand this “non-work” ethic in anybody. I guess it’s my age and perhaps my mentality.

And God said “Six days you shall labor and do all your work.”

God commanded us in Scripture to work, but nowhere in Scripture did He command us to play. When a society wants to play more than work, something is wrong with us.

Most people don’t work six days a week. Most people work five days a week and would like to make it even less. Many people are thrilled to have this three-day weekend off.

Why would God command us to work six days a week? Probably for several reasons: One reason why God wants us to work is because He is a worker!

Gen. 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Gen. 2:2 “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing...”

Ps. 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

John 5:17 Jesus said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, an working.”

God worked when He created the heavens and the earth, but He didn’t stop there! He has been working throughout all of history! He is still at work even though we may not be aware of some of His work.

He is at work doing “behind the scenes” things as well as out in the open. BUT ONE THING IS CLEAR: GOD IS A WORKER AND HE WANTS US TO WORK!

God is our Heavenly Father and He wants us to learn to imitate Him in life because He does everything right! He does good things and work is one of them. WORK IS GOOD FOR US ALL. It’s an indication that we’re becoming just like our Heavenly Father.

God also wants us to work because it is just plain good for us. Work benefits us in many ways. Work is a healthy thing to do. It exercises both the body and the brain.

ILL.- It was said that preacher John Wesley was a small man, weighing only 120 lbs, but he was a tireless worker. He lived to be 90 years old. Samuel Johnson said of him, “He is never at leisure.”

At the age of 73 Wesley said that he felt better and stronger than at the age of 23. COULD IT BE THAT WORK HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT? It’s highly possible.

Most people don’t die from hard work or from being overworked. They die from doing nothing.

PROP.- In this message I want to consider two thoughts:

1- The business and blessings of work

2- The reason and rewards of leisure

I. THE BUSINESS AND BLESSINGS OF WORK

ILL.- A man applied for a job and asked the manager, “How many people work in this plant?” The manager replied, “About one in fifteen.”

Not many people want to work even when they have a job, but here’s the opposite of that.

ILL.- Albert Einstein was interested in almost everything, and gave every topic and visitor his undivided attention. But sometimes he would rise abruptly—even in the middle of a sentence—and say apologetically, “I have to work now.” He would retire to his study, leaving it to his wife and secretary to entertain the guest a while longer. There was nothing offensive about this; it was obvious that Einstein’s brain had started to spin, and that he had to work.

Brothers and sisters, Einstein meant business and his business was his work. And work is our business whether we realize this or not. God created us to work. God commanded us to work. Six days you shall labor and do all your work.

I Thess. 4:11 “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and TO WORK WITH YOUR HANDS...”

II Thess. 3:10-12 “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘If a man will not work, he shall not eat.’ “We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.”