March 16, 2008
The Seven Deadly
Sins:
Sloth: Proverbs 6:6-11, 20:13-17; Luke 10:30-32
Anger: Proverbs 15:1, 29:8-11, 30:33; Ephesians 4:26-32
Dr. Will Jones
First Presbyterian Church,
Summary: The season of Lent is the time for
Christians to examine our hearts and determine which types of sin harm us and
our relationship with God and others.
The Seven Deadly Sins are those that the Church has identified as
especially damaging for our moral lives.
Sloth means much more than sheer laziness and apathy. It connotes spiritual inertia and a lack of
compassion for others. Anger is not
automatically wrong and is sometimes justified.
Too often, however, we sin in our anger by letting it get out of control
as we spiritually and physically target others with our bad intentions.
Outline:
I. The Season of Lent
a.
A
time of honesty about our own hearts
b.
“You
can fool some of the people some of the time…”
II. The Seven Deadly Sins
a.
Pride,
Envy, Greed, Gluttony, Lust, Sloth, & Anger
b.
Leading
to personal and cultural decline
III. SLOTH
a.
Definition:
the loss of one’s spiritual moorings in life and the ensuing spiritual vacuum
that manifests itself in despondency; deserting worship of God and service to
others
b.
Tristitia: gloomy/sad/negative outlook on life
c.
Acedia: lack of caring and compassion for
others
d.
Examples
e.
Christians
are part of a story that is larger than ourselves: God’s story, which activity,
not passivity, in the world
IV. ANGER
a.
Definition:
a rush of fury, rage, or resentment, often leading to desires and actual deeds
of revenge. Anger is pervasive,
injurious to self and others; persistent anger is most responsible for
unhappiness and discontent in life.
b.
Examples
c.
Living
in an age of unnecessary (& often fake) Wrath; anger commands attention
d.
Constructive
v. destructive anger
V. Deadly Sins offset by Holy Virtues:
a.
Sloth
– Carefulness
b.
Anger
– Forgiveness
For a copy of this sermon, click here …