Work and the Sluggard

This weekend at Eastbrook I concluded our series on Proverbs entitled “Words to Live By” with a message entitled “Work and the Sluggard.”

Throughout this series, we have been tracing themes through Proverbs and, believe it or not, sloth and laziness is a major theme of this book. It is caricatured in a person called “the sluggard.”

You can listen to my message online at the Eastbrook web-site here. You can also subscribe to the Eastbrook podcast here or follow Eastbrook Church on Twitter.

My message outline is below.

A Portrait of the Sluggard and Sloth: six characteristics

• All words but no action (13:23)
• Slack in their work (18:9)
• Too lazy even to eat (19:24; 28:15)
• Their property is in ruins (24:30-34)
• Making excuses from unfounded fears (26:13)
• Chasing fantasies (12:1; 28:19)

The Results of Sloth

• Living in poverty and scarcity (6:10-11; 19:15)
• Lacking food and provision (12:27; 19:15)
• Always craving more (13:4; 21:25-26)
• The way is blocked (15:19)

The Opposite of the Sluggard and Sloth: five examples

• The Ant (6:6-8)
• The Farmer (10:4-5; 12:10-11; 28:19)
• The Hunter (12:27)
• The Servant (22:29)
• The Judicious Wife (31:27)

For Us Today:

• For those working
• For those unemployed
• For those at home
• For those who are young