Doing The Least What is the least we

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Doing The Least What is the least we can do to be pleasing to

Doing The Least What is the least we can do to be pleasing to God?

Doing the Least • We live in a society where many people often are

Doing the Least • We live in a society where many people often are only interested in putting forth the least amount of effort necessary to get by. • All to often students try to do just enough to pass. • Employees try to do just enough to keep their job and still get paid. • Many times Christians try to do just enough to get into Heaven.

Doing the Least • What we want to do now is to take a

Doing the Least • What we want to do now is to take a look at what is the least we can do and still be pleasing to God. • Is some of what God commanded enough? • Is most of what God commanded enough? • The only way to answer this question is by going to God’s Word. • I believe as we go through this lesson that it will become abundantly clear the God expects nothing less than our fullest effort to obey Him.

Doing the Least • Let’s first take a look at Jesus’ parable of the

Doing the Least • Let’s first take a look at Jesus’ parable of the talents to get an idea of the effort God expects from each of us. • Mt 25: 14 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. • 15 "And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.

Doing the Least • 16 "Then he who had received the five talents went

Doing the Least • 16 "Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. • 17 "And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. • 18 "But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and his lord's money. • 19 "After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

Doing the Least • Mt 25: 20 "So he who had received five talents

Doing the Least • Mt 25: 20 "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them. ' • 21 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. '

Doing the Least • 22 "He also who had received two talents came and

Doing the Least • 22 "He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them. ' • 23 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. ’ • This man did not have the same abilities as the first but still he did the best he could with what he had been given.

Doing the Least • Mt 25: 24 "Then he who had received the one

Doing the Least • Mt 25: 24 "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. • 25 'And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours. ' • 26 "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.

Doing the Least • Mt 25: 27 'So you ought to have deposited my

Doing the Least • Mt 25: 27 'So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. • 28 'Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. • 29 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. • 30 'And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. '

Doing the Least • What was so wrong with what the one talent man

Doing the Least • What was so wrong with what the one talent man did? • He gave back to his master what he had been given. • He didn’t steal, waste or squander the talent he had been given. • He even put in some effort to dig a hole and in order to keep it in a safe place. • The problem was, he tried to do the minimum possible. • He had the ability to do more but did not do it! • Because of his lack of effort, Jesus calls him Lazy!

Doing the Least • Do we remember what Paul told the Ephesians they needed

Doing the Least • Do we remember what Paul told the Ephesians they needed to do in order to be standing when the battle is over? • Eph 6: 10 ¶ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. • 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Doing the Least • Eph 6: 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh

Doing the Least • Eph 6: 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. • 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. • Most of the time when we talk about these verses we focus on putting on the armor of God. • I want us to focus on 3 words it would be easy to overlook

Doing the Least • “having done all” • Since we have such a terrible

Doing the Least • “having done all” • Since we have such a terrible adversary we need to do all that we can, put forth every possible effort so when the battle is over we can stand victorious with Christ. • Entering into this battle doing the least that we can will get us killed. • We need to understand even when we do all that we can then we will just barely make it into Heaven.

Doing the Least • 1 Pe 4: 17 For the time has come for

Doing the Least • 1 Pe 4: 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? • 18 Now "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear? “ • If the righteous barely make it into Heaven then what do we expect will happen to those of us who are lazy and don’t put much effort into being a Christian?

Doing the Least • Rather than being lazy and doing the least, the Christian

Doing the Least • Rather than being lazy and doing the least, the Christian is to be diligent in serving God. • 2 Pe 1: 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, • Diligence here comes from the Greek word “spoude” meaning with haste or eagerness • 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,

Doing the Least • 2 Pe 1: 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to

Doing the Least • 2 Pe 1: 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. • 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. • 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Doing the Least • 2 Pe 1: 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent

Doing the Least • 2 Pe 1: 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; • 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. • This diligent comes from the Greek word “spoudazo” which means to “use speed”, “give effort”, “labour” • Could the word diligent be rightfully used to describe my efforts to serve God?

Doing the Least • Peter uses this word again describing how the Christian should

Doing the Least • Peter uses this word again describing how the Christian should conduct themselves in this life • 2 Pe 3: 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. • 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; • Are we making every effort to be without spot and blameless?

Doing the Least • Heb 4: 11 ¶ Let us therefore be diligent to

Doing the Least • Heb 4: 11 ¶ Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. • We simply can’t be lazy when it comes to obeying God and expect to make it into Heaven. • We must be diligent, hard working servants of the Lord. • The KJV translates diligence here with the word “labour” • Could we be rightly described as someone who is truly laboring in the work of the Lord? • Or are we just doing the minimum we believe is necessary?

Doing the Least • Am I being diligent, putting in every effort and laboring

Doing the Least • Am I being diligent, putting in every effort and laboring when it comes to praying as I should? • Lu 18: 1 ¶ Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, • Ro 12: 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; • Col 4: 2 ¶ Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; • 1 Th 5: 17 Pray without ceasing.

Doing the Least • Do these verses describe the effort we put into prayer

Doing the Least • Do these verses describe the effort we put into prayer or are we just praying when we think about it or maybe just at worship services? • Are we laboring, putting forth every effort and being diligent when it comes to worshipping God? • Heb 10: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. • Or are we doing what we believe is the least necessary?

Doing the Least • Are we being diligent and giving every effort we can

Doing the Least • Are we being diligent and giving every effort we can when it comes to giving? • 2 Co 9: 6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. • 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. • Does this describe how we give or do we just do the minimum, giving what we happen to have in our wallet at the time if anything at all?

Doing the Least • Are we diligent, giving every effort, laboring to do good

Doing the Least • Are we diligent, giving every effort, laboring to do good to other people? • Ga 6: 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. • 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. • Are we watching for opportunities to do good to other people or are we just doing the least, taking care of ourselves?

Doing the Least • Are we diligent, giving every effort, working to show love

Doing the Least • Are we diligent, giving every effort, working to show love to others? • 1 Co 13: 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; • Are we selfish, looking out for our own interests instead of being diligent in trying to help those we love? • Putting the least amount of effort possible into the relationships with those we love is doomed to fail.

Doing the Least • If the parent does not put every effort into demonstrating

Doing the Least • If the parent does not put every effort into demonstrating love towards the child, then that relationship will never be what it should. • This love includes: providing for them, instructing them and certainly disciplining them. • If the husband or wife does not put every effort into demonstrating love towards their spouse then that relationship will never be what God intended and many times will end in tragedy.

Conclusion • Similarly, if we are not putting every effort into the love we

Conclusion • Similarly, if we are not putting every effort into the love we claim to have for God then that relationship will fail because of our lack of effort. • Joh 14: 15 ¶ "If you love Me, keep My commandments. • Am I being diligent, giving every effort, laboring to be a good and faithful servant by obeying the commands of my master? • Or do I have myself deceived thinking I can try to do the least amount possible and still make it into Heaven?