New Testament                                        

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Matthew 25: 14-30

Please read through Matthew 25:14-30 before proceeding.  We can learn much from this great parable.  Today I just want to talk about the last four verses, focusing on the character of the man who had received one talent.

 

With seeming boldness the man confronts his master with a list.

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1.  A list of excuses why he had not done more with what the master had given him.

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2.  The man looked his master in the face and lied about him.

                He said he was a hard man.

                He said he was a thief, harvesting grain that was not his.

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3.  The man said he was afraid of his master.

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So these were the excuses the man used for burying his talent in the dirt.  His lying excuses for doing nothing with what he was given.

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Now, how did the master respond to the third man?

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HE CALLED HIM A WICKED AND LAZY SERVANT.

 

Next, we see what the master did with the man.

 

• He took the talent away from him and gave it to the man who already had 10 talents.
• He ordered that the worthless servant be thrown into darkness.

 

 

 

 

The Bible also uses the words sluggard and sloth to describe the lazy.

 

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Here are a few verses from Proverbs.

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Proverbs 26:16 says, “The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly."

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Proverbs 23:13 says, “The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!” or, “I will be murdered in the streets!”

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Proverbs 19:24 says, “The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!"

 

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Proverbs 10:4-5 says, “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth."

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Proverbs 13:4 says, “The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.”

 

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Proverbs 14:23 says, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”

 

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So what does that have to do with us?

 

The Bible tells us in Matthew and in Proverbs that the lazy person, even when given a chance will not work.

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We learn that the lazy person will lie and make excuses to keep from working.

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We learn that the lazy person thinks he is smarter than his master.

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Oh yes, the Bible also tells us that the lazy person craves nice things,

and that when someone is all talk and no work his life will lead to poverty.

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Getting to the hard truth quickly!

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We can be lazy physically and/or spiritually.

 

Precious people, God does not tolerate laziness.

 

So I pray you will listen to God’s Word, and get up and get after it!