Proverbs 18:9 (KJV)
He also that is slothful
in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.
The Bible compares us
positively to all sorts of animals:
· Eagles
· Lions
· Ants, even
· Spiders
But there is one sort of
animal that is not a positive comparison – the sloth.[1]
The sloth is so
negatively looked upon that, even in the children’s animation, Ice Age, the sloth character is hard
pressed to have any real friends.
The Bible says that is
slothful (or sloth like) is brother to him that is a great waster.
I went on a Google
search[2]
and want to give some of the least favorable facts about the sloth (and perhaps
an application or two derived from them.)
The first three points
have to do with its laziness.
*I. THE SLOTH ALMOST NEVER MOVES
Proverbs 18:9 (KJV)
He also that is slothful
in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.
Webster’s 1828
dictionary says of the sloth,
“An animal, so called from the
remarkable slowness of his motions. There are two species of this animal; the
three toed sloth, and the two toed sloth; both found in South America. It is
said that its greatest speed seldom exceeds three yard an hour.”
It lives almost its
whole life, feeding off the very same tree.
One of the sloth’s most
vulnerable characteristics is that it only comes out of the tree once every
week or so, to go to the bathroom.
It always goes to the
bathroom in the very same spot, at the base of the tree, so predators know
where to find him when he comes out of the tree.
I know this is one of
God’s creations, but it is used in such an unflattering way it represents a
wasted life.
Every one of us is a
different person.
We have different gifts
and differing potential.
· Some of us are driven
· Some of us are content
· Some of us never seem to have enough
· Some of us appear to be happy just to survive
But I am telling you,
God’s Word urges us:
· To go
· To run to obtain
· To press toward the mark for the prize
Secondly
*II. THE SLOTH IS A WEAKLING
“Muscles make up only 25 to
30 percent of their total body weight.”
That makes sense. If it never moves it will not have muscle.
Hebrews 5:14 (KJV)
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even
those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and
evil.
Some Christians have almost no “spiritual muscle” because
they never step out in faith.
One of the things that I have learned, living for God, is
that I can trust God living for Him.
You hear the stories of pastors and missionaries:
· God’s provisions
· God’s blessings
and
· God’s using them
The only reason others don’t have the same experiences is
because they never exercise their spiritual muscles of faith.
*III. THE
SLOTH SLEEPS MORE THAN HE WAKES
“Sleep 15-18 hours a day”
1 Corinthians 15:34 (KJV)
Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the
knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
I wonder how many of us are asleep to righteousness more
than we are awake?
· How often are we
under conviction of our sin?
· How often are we
burdened to win others to Jesus Christ?
· How often are our
spiritual eyes blurred to the spiritual need of those around us?
It might be that we too are asleep more often than we are
awake.
How about this – is the only time you open your Bible when
you are at church?
Do you come to all of the services at church or just a hand
full of them a month?
Four
*IV. THE SLOTH IS “HOME” TO SOME PRETTY YUCKY
CREATURES
Wikipedia
“Sloths make very good
habitats for other organisms, and a single sloth may be home to several species
of moths, beetles, cockroaches, fungi, ciliates, and algae.”
Here’s the thing, the
sloth moves so little that it never cleans itself.
Its hair is full of moss
and algae so all these bugs and other critters find a good home in its fur.
When Christians don’t
regularly:
· Confess their sins
· Read God’s Word
· Repent and turn to God
All sorts of evil and
ungodly people hang around them.
A few years ago I led
this couple of the Lord. They attended church here for a short time but quit
pretty abruptly.
When I spoke to them
about it their answer was that their daughter was homosexual so they found a
church where she didn’t feel so uncomfortable.
In other words, she
found a church where they wouldn’t point out that she had cockroaches in her
fur!
Fifth
*V. OF THE SLOTH IT COULD BE SAID,
“WHOSE GOD IS ITS BELLY”
“2/3 of its weight consists of
its stomach and digestive tract.”
Philippians 3:18-19 (KJV)
(For many walk, of whom I have
told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the
cross of Christ:
Whose end is destruction, whose
God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly
things.)
The point of that passage is
that these ungodly people exist to care for their flesh at the expensive of the
soul and spirit.
Six
*VI. THE SLOTH CAN BE A VILE ANIMAL
Wikepedia
“Some two toed sloths have been
observed eating feces out of human toilets”
I don’t want to spend much time
here except to point out
2 Peter 2:20-22 (KJV)
For if after they have escaped
the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse
with them than the beginning.
For it had been better for them
not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to
turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
But it is happened unto them
according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and
the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
Seven
*VII. THE SLOTH HAS A HUGE TONGUE
“tongue can stick out 10-12
inches”
I thought about using this to
point out how unscriptural the modern day tongues movement is but decided
instead to point you to:
James 1:26 (KJV)
If any man among you seem to be
religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's
religion is vain.
James 3:3-13 (KJV)
Behold, we put bits in the
horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
Behold also the ships, which
though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned
about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
Even so the tongue is a little
member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire
kindleth!
And the tongue is a fire, a
world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the
whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of
hell.
For every kind of beasts, and
of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been
tamed of mankind:
But the tongue can no man tame;
it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Therewith bless we God, even
the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of
God.
Out of the same mouth
proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Doth a fountain send forth at
the same place sweet water and bitter?
Can the fig tree, my brethren,
bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt
water and fresh.
Who is a wise man and endued
with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works
with meekness of wisdom.
Finally
*VIII. THE
SLOTH CAN BE A TERRIBLE PARENT
“Infant sloths normally cling
to their mothers' fur, but occasionally fall off. Sloths are very sturdily
built and rarely die from a fall … they die from a fall indirectly because the
mothers prove unwilling to leave the safety of the trees to retrieve the young.”
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (KJV)
This know also, that in the
last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of
their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection,
trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are
good,
Traitors, heady, highminded,
lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness,
but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
The Bible says that in the last days children will be
disobedient to parents and parents will be without natural affection.
I think the reason why children are disobedient to their
parents is because the parents don’t love them enough to discipline them.
Worse still in my estimation, is the parent who cares so
little for their child’s eternal well being that they will not get out of their
“tree” to take them to church faithfully.
Church is where the child will
· Learn about Jesus
· Learn about sin
and
· Learn about
salvation
Church is also where the parents will
· Learn how to
parent
· Learn how to be a
family and
· Learn how to reach
their kids for Christ
You can’t save your kids
from everything.
But you won’t save them
from anything if you don’t try.
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