Diligence Is The Answer
I. Do we have to work? (Hebrews
11:6, 6:11)
A.
There’s a difference between preaching works,
and preaching work-Ephesians 2:8
B.
The Believer is supposed to work-John
6:27-29, 1 Thess 1:3, Heb
4:11, 1 Tim 4:7,
1.
God worked-Genesis 2:2-3
2.
Jesus worked-John 9:41
3.
We’re saved by grace, we’re offered healing
by grace, we’re offered prosperity by grace, we’re offered victory by grace but
you receive the grace to be healed, the grace to walk in victory, and the grace
to prosper the same way that you received the grace that you got saved by and
that’s through faith and faith is work and faith is a fight-1 Thessalonians
1:3, 1 Timothy 6:12
II. Our diligence begins in
being diligent to hear and do the Word of God
A.
Diligence to find out what the Word says and
in being a doer of that Word
B.
People miss out on what Jesus provided
because of what they don’t know and do
1.
People are cut off from God’s provision
because of what they don’t know (Hos 4:6)
a.
The lacked knowledge because they rejected it
2.
People who know the Word are cut off because
they do not do (James 1:25)
a.
You can hear the word, but not do it and be
cut off from the blessing
b.
The blessing doesn’t come until the doing
begins
3.
Believers are failing, not because of God,
the enemy, the size of the problem, their circumstances or their lack of
education, but because of their lack of diligence to hear and do the Word
C.
The answer to every test, trial, tribulation
and negative circumstance in life is to be a diligent hearer and doer of the Word
1.
Hearken (hear, attend to, obey, diligently) diligently
to the Word is the key to victory (Deut 28:1)
a.
Hear it, give your attention (time) to it,
and do it
b.
Hearken is used in reference of Hearken to
them and not me over 90 times
2.
Problems don’t get solved and victories don’t
manifest until somebody makes the
decision to diligently hear and
do the Word
a.
The root to every failure in life can be
traced back to a failure to be diligent in hearing and doing the Word
1)
Failure in any realm of life can be traced
back to a failure to diligently hear and do the Word
b.
God’s whole message to the Children of Israel
was to hearken diligently to His Word (Psalm 81:8-16)
3.
You cannot
diligently hear and do what the Word says and fail or be defeated (Joshua 1:5,
John 1)
a.
When you think you can hear and do the word
and fail it destroys faith
b.
The Word has been tried and proven (Psalm
18:30)
1)
ESV-The Word of the Lord proves true
2)
You’re not trying the Word; it’s trying you
c.
The problem is not the problem and you’re
problem is not what you think it is; your problem is not diligently hearing and
doing the Word
1)
The curse is not the problem, Jesus defeated
the curse
2)
This is how close you are to victory; hear
and do the Word
d.
Who told you it wasn’t working (Hebrews
4:12)?
1)
You think the word can fail you
e.
Diligence is I’ll do the Word even if it gets
worse for no other reason, but the Word says to do it and whether or not it
produces results well that’s none of my business, my business is to do the Word
diligently (Jeremiah 1:12)
4.
Diligently hearing and doing the Word is the gateway to great victories
a.
Luke 8:49-50-Jairus’ job was to do the Word,
not heal is daughter
b.
John 2:5-Whatever he says to you do it!
1)
It becomes very important to take the time to
find out what he said
2)
The more you know about what he said and the
more you do it the greater victories you’ll see
c.
Daniel 3-He said don’t bow so don’t bow!
d.
John 8:31-There’s no problem that this Word
won’t make victorious over
1)
The condition is this-IF YE CONTINUE
2)
There’s not enough continuing
3)
The word will make you free from anything if
you’ll continue (Romans 1:16)
D.
2 Peter 1:1-10-Diligence is the guarantee of
your success
1.
2-Grace and Peace by multiplied unto you
a.
Grace-that
which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: good will,
loving-kindness, favor, benefits, bounty, reward, Every favor and earthly
blessing, material gift
b.
Peace-Security, safety, prosperity, felicity-Happiness, or rather great happiness;
blessedness; blissfulness; appropriately, the joys of heaven, enjoyment of good
2.
2-If grace
and peace are going to come unto you, then it must come through the knowledge
of the Word
a.
EX: Water plan and pipes; they can have all
the water you’d ever need and want you to have it, but if you don’t have the
pipes there’s no way for them to get it to you
b.
If you have little knowledge of the Word you
have a small channel through with grace and peace can come to you
c.
The grace and peace that increase in your
life is being determined by you what you know and do from the Word
1)
If your grace and peace level is low, then
your “hearing and doing the word” level is low
3.
3-All things that pertain to life and
godliness He’s given to us through the knowledge of the Word
a.
The littler you know and do from the word,
the less of these things you’ll see
4.
4-By this word you’re going to become more
and more like him and escape the corruption and destruction that is in the
world
5.
5-Because of V3 and V4 add your diligence to
these divine promises; Most believers haven’t added diligence to the promises
a.
They get excited about the word, read the
Word, they shout about the word in church, but they haven’t added diligence to
the promises
6.
8-You won’t be unfruitful in the word if
these things abound
7.
10-If you do, then you will never fail
a.
Diligence gives you the guarantee