Sermons on Laziness
2 Thessalonians 3:6-18
The Bread of Idleness Introduction: In a sense it is a relief to be past the most controversial prophetic passages in 1 and 2 Thessalonians. There’s nothing directly in today’s text about the Tribulation or Antichrist or the Rapture or the Second Coming. As you know, my last three sermons have all been on these topics–important but controversial. You’ve been very gracious in listening to views that were, for some, new, and for others, troublesome. For the most part I believe you have followed…
Colossians 3:22 4:1; Ephesians 6:5-9
Work Is Not a Four-Letter Word Introduction: Last Lord’s Day we began a new series on The Ministry of the Market Place. We noted that work is a divinely established institution–one of four God set up to make our lives meaningful, purposeful, and happy–the others being marriage/family, government, and the church. We also learned that work should not be viewed as the “secular” part of our lives which must be endured so that the “sacred” might be enjoyed. Work actually preceded the Fall of…
Ecclesiastes 4:1-16
Wise Work in a Wicked World The question for today is, “How do we keep our sanity while working in a wicked world?” A great deal of work is oppressive. (4:1-3) The opening verses of chapter 4 speak of the oppression of the poor by the powerful. Economic injustice was so severe and so pervasive in the Preacher’s day that he declared it is better to be dead than living and better still to have never been born, because the only alternative…
Ecclesiastes 7-11
Sharp Goads and Hard Nails Note: This sermon is a summary of Ecclesiastes 7-11. Please turn in your Bible to Ecclesiastes 12. I want us to begin reading at verse 9: Not only was the Teacher wise, but also he imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true. The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like…