SIX LEGGED WISDOM FOR THE SLUGGARD

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

As we open the book of Proverbs, we encounter a powerful passage that speaks directly to our daily lives and choices. Proverbs 6:6-11 presents us with a profound lesson about the value of diligence, using the humble ant as a teacher and guide.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

Let us embark on a journey of exploration and discovery as we uncover the wisdom encapsulated in these verses, and may it transform our hearts, minds, and actions.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

Indeed, the wonders of God's creation proclaim His power, glory, and majesty! Throughout the Bible, we find numerous instances where God utilizes the animal and insect kingdom to convey His messages to humanity.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

From the mighty ox and humble donkey to the singing rooster, these creatures serve as vessels through which God speaks to us, revealing profound truths and calling us to a deeper understanding of His ways.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

In Isaiah 1:3, God compares His people to the ox and the ass, emphasizing their failure to recognize and respond to His care and guidance. Through this imagery, He conveys the message of His faithfulness and provision, inviting us to acknowledge and honor Him as our loving Creator.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

In the Gospels, we witness Jesus referring to the crowing of the rooster as a sign of Peter's denial. This demonstrates how God uses even the smallest creatures to draw attention to significant moments and lessons in our lives.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

The rooster's crow served as a wake-up call for Peter, highlighting the importance of repentance and restoration.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

Another remarkable example can be found in the story of Balaam and the donkey in Numbers. God speaks through the donkey, revealing Balaam's stubbornness and reminding him of the need to align his actions with God's will.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

This extraordinary encounter emphasizes the Lord's ability to use any means necessary to capture our attention and redirect our paths toward righteousness.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

The animal and insect kingdom act as messengers of God's wisdom and grace. They remind us that God's creation is not limited to human beings alone.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

Every living creature carries a unique purpose and role in reflecting His glory. Just as God used these creatures in the Bible, He continues to communicate through nature today, inviting us to observe, learn, and respond to His divine revelation.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

As we marvel at the intricacies of the animal and insect world, let us recognize the underlying message: God's creation testifies to His sovereignty and wisdom.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

From the tiniest insect to the mightiest beast, each creature displays His artistry and care. They remind us of our place in the vast tapestry of creation, urging us to humbly submit to His authority and steward His world with reverence.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

Therefore, let us pay attention to the lessons embedded in God's living sermon through His creation. May we listen to the whispers of the wind, the songs of the birds, and the majesty of the mountains.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

May we marvel at the intricate design of every creature, acknowledging God's handiwork and finding inspiration in His creation.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

Ultimately, may our encounters with the animal and insect kingdom deepen our awe and reverence for the Creator who lovingly sustains and speaks to us through His marvelous works.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

In this passage, God addresses the sluggard, a person who is characterized by laziness, idleness, carelessness, and a lack of productivity. As we examine this passage, we must humbly acknowledge that we can all fall into the category of sluggard at times.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

It is a universal struggle that each of us faces. However, in God's wisdom, He has chosen to teach us valuable lessons through the example of the ant.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

By studying the behavior and characteristics of these tiny creatures, we can glean insights that will not only help us grow as individuals but also enable our church to be more effective in advancing the cause of Christ.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

Furthermore, we are compelled to pay attention to God's instruction because He specifically commands us to learn from the ant.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

Allow me to provide an introduction by highlighting the remarkable success of ants as social insects, drawing a parallel to the church. With over 11,000 different species, ants live in colonies ranging from a few individuals to over 20 million.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

In fact, there are approximately 1 quadrillion ants in the world today, a staggering number represented by a 10 followed by 15 zeros.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

This abundance of ants is so significant that scientists estimate that if all the ants in the Amazon rainforests were weighed, they would outweigh all other mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians combined.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

Considering these remarkable facts, let us now delve into the lessons we can learn from the humble ant. Despite their small size, these creatures possess wisdom that can benefit us as we strive to fulfill the Lord's work.

SIX LEGGED WISDOM

Therefore, I present to you a sermon titled "Six-Legged Wisdom for the Sluggard,"

THE WAY OF THE SLUGGARD

So the slugger is like the very opposite of the industrious little ant. You might say he's the antithesis....He is the opposite. The sluggard is, first of all, unmotivated.

Proverbs 6:10 ESV

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,

Is God against naps? NO! Leisure is not the same as laziness.

THE SLUGGARD IS UNMOTIVATED

Time to spare is a good thing. In fact, time to spare is what spares you. It'll spare you an enormous amount of heartache and hardship in the future.

THE SLUGGARD IS UNMOTIVATED

A sluggard is by and large a person who will not focus on things, and therefore he will not finish things.

THE SLUGGARD IS UNMOTIVATED

You see, when you ask the sluggard the question that Solomon asked, how long are you going to sleep? You're being far too definite for the sluggard in that question, because he doesn't know. You're like, how long? I don't know. He can't commit.

THE SLUGGARD IS UNMOTIVATED

There is one ant who reminds us of the sluggard and it is known as the slave maker.

THE SLUGGARD IS UNMOTIVATED

The slave maker ant will steal the young from another ant colony and bring that undeveloped ant back to its own colony.

THE SLUGGARD IS UNMOTIVATED

So as the ant grows they go about serving their new masters, as if it was their own parents and colony.

THE SLUGGARD IS UNMOTIVATED

This thievery leads the slave maker, into a life of ease. As they become accustomed to a life of ease, they degenerate in their capacity to the point that they can't even feed themselves any longer.

THE SLUGGARD IS UNMOTIVATED

Now in chapter 26 of Proverbs, verse 14, listen to this very incredible description.

Proverbs 26:14 ESV

As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed.

Very descriptive. It's like, the only motion he makes is to turn over on the other side. There's a lot of motion, but no progress. The sluggard thrives in busyness.

Proverbs 26:15 ESV

The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.

This is a lazy dude. He has no motivation whatsoever.

THE SLUGGARD IS UNMOTIVATED

Basically, all these descriptions speak of the person who always has an excuse. Always has a reason why it can't be done. See, sluggards are procrastinators. They have so many projects that are left undone, they never get to.

Proverbs 22:13 ESV

The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!”

So it's a picture of somebody who refuses to get out of their home, they're homebound, they're locked down, they're scared of the boogeyman, they won't go outside. That's the way of the sluggard's. They're unmotivated.

THE SLUGGARD IS UNPRODUCTIVE.

The sluggard is unproductive.

Proverbs 6:11 ESV

and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

You maintain that state of inactivity for too long, one day it'll be too late. It'll all come crashing down.

THE SLUGGARD IS UNPRODUCTIVE.

The idea here is an unfulfilled and frustrated life. Not just physical poverty, but it will leave that person emotionally restless, unsatisfied, and discouraged.

THE SLUGGARD IS UNPRODUCTIVE.

Listen to some of the other verses in Proverbs that help fill out the meaning.

Proverbs 21:25 NLT

Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work.

So all they have is want, all they have is desire. And it's like this vicious cycle. I want this, I need this, but they never get it. So it's just completely unfulfilling.

Proverbs 13:4 NLT

Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.

The life of ease Is a very unfulfilling life. It's one of the most unfulfilled ways to live, to be driven by the love of ease.

THE WORK OF THE ANT

THEY PROTECT

In the ant colony, when ants return to their nest, they care for their injured comrades by removing any termites that may be clinging to them. This act of assistance helps the injured ants regain their mobility.

THEY PROTECT

The act of rescuing injured ants is crucial, as it ensures their survival within the colony. By receiving the necessary support and care, these ants have a better chance of recovering and continuing to contribute to the collective efforts of the ant community.

Galatians 6:2 ESV

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Romans 15:1 ESV

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

THEY PERSEVERE

Surprisingly, the recovery process can be quite rapid, sometimes taking as little as an hour, enabling the healed ants to rejoin future raiding parties and contribute to the colony's activities.

THEY PERSEVERE

While ants that have lost their legs due to injury remain physically impaired, they adapt remarkably well. Within just 24 hours, they become accustomed to running on their remaining legs.

THEY PERSEVERE

By the following day, these resilient ants are able to run nearly as swiftly as their healthy counterparts, compensating for their disability.

THEY PRODUCE

Now, you've got to know this about ants. They're very organized. They organize themselves into colonies called formicarries which are like modern cities.

THEY PRODUCE

They organize their food and shelter. They build streets, supply rooms, hatcheries, and barracks.

THEY PRODUCE

Colonies can go from just a few ants to 20 million . In fact, there are some colonies called super colonies in certain continents that have over 300 million ants.

THEY PRODUCE

In the ant world, it's all volunteer. Everything is a volunteer army. There's no guide, there's no leader, there's no president, there's no governor, there's no prime minister, but they all work.

THEY PRODUCE

Nobody has to tell them what to do. They do the work. In fact, there are particular ants called soldier ants that kill the ants that refuse to work. So they produce.

THEY PRODUCE

They divide up the workforce among the different types of ants. So queens have only one job. Lay eggs.

THEY PRODUCE

All the other female ants are the worker ants. They're the ones that feed the larvae, they take out the colony's trash, they forage for food, they defend the nest.

THEY PRODUCE

The male ant's only job is to mate with the queen. It's a thankless job, but somebody's got to do it.

THEY PRODUCE

Ants work continually. They keep regular shifts for working, eating, and sleeping.

THEY PRODUCE

If you kick or disturb an ant hill the ants will immediately start to rebuild.

THEY PRODUCE

They are persistent and they work continually. They do it all without pay, they do it without any promotion, they do it without any word of thanks. No pat on the back. Not that they have a back that you could pat.

THEY PRODUCE

They don't quit. They don't get mad. They don't go to the HR department and file a complaint. They don't go on strike. They work.

THEY PRODUCE

Which is exactly how we are to work and serve the Lord as believers. Did you know that?

Ephesians 6:6 NLT

Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart.

Ephesians 6:7 NLT

Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

THEY PROVIDE

At least that's the word he uses in verse 8. Says,

Proverbs 6:8 ESV

she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.

THEY PROVIDE

Ants work hard to provide for themselves and for others in the colony.

THEY PROVIDE

Did you know that ants are farmers? They're ranchers. They actually, besides humans, are the only creatures that will farm other creatures.

THEY PROVIDE

They do this with aphids. Ants will protect aphids from natural predators. They'll do their best to protect the aphids.

THEY PROVIDE

They'll shelter them in their nests from heavy rainfall because the ants want the constant supply of the secretions that come from the aphids. So they're ranchers. They're farmers.

THEY PROVIDE

Then, there's a particular kind of an ant called the honeypot ant. The honeypot ant is a special worker ant that gorges herself full of nectar so that her abdomen swells enormously, several times her own size.

THEY PROVIDE

She takes that and she feeds herself and the rest of the nest. So she is a blessing to everyone in the nest.

THEY PROVIDE

Which, again, is what the Bible says we are to do. We are to work so that we might bless others.

Ephesians 4:28 ESV

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

Just like the honeypot ant. And again in

Hebrews 13:16 ESV

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

So ants produce and ants provide.

THEY PREPARE

Proverbs 6:8 ESV

she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.

THEY PREPARE

Did you know that ants prepare for the winter? They actually store up food and make preparations for even long winters. Other insects don't necessarily do this.

THEY PREPARE

For example, grasshoppers don't prepare for the winter. You know what grasshoppers do in the winter? They die.

THEY PREPARE

Grasshoppers will lay their eggs in the late summer, and having no preparations made for the winter, their job is done. They die. Life is over for them. But not the ant.

THEY PREPARE

The ant will seek out warmer places. The ant will go down under the ground, will go down under rocks or under bark, and then they will gather together, they will cluster together more tightly in the winter to give off body heat to each other.

THEY PREPARE

When they go out hunting for food, when they go foraging, they leave behind them a little invisible marking of pheromones, pheromone trail, so that they can follow it back or that others in the colony can follow along that trail to the food source. So the communication chain, the communication line is unbroken. That's being prepared.

THEY PREPARE

Then, when they are marching and they come to a river, they will cluster together, roll itself into a giant ball, and get on the river and float across the river to the other shore and continue their journey. Amazing. They are prepared.

THEY PREPARE

The Bible talks about us being prepared. Proverbs says so much about foreseeing evil and staying away from it, thinking about things in advance and getting prepared for life, even saving up, but always, always in the will of the Lord. Proverbs 16 says,

Proverbs 16:9 ESV

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

THEY PREPARE

In the New Testament, James provides wisdom about being prepared.

James 4:13 ESV

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—

James 4:14 ESV

yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

James 4:15 ESV

Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

We plan, but we always plan under the caveat of, what is the will of God?

THEY PREPARE

So they produce, they provide, and they prepare. Now, I just want to ask you this. Christian, are you prepared and are you preparing for your future by serving the Lord now?

THEY PREPARE

How do you prepare for the future? By serving the Lord now. Jesus said,

Matthew 6:19 ESV

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,

Matthew 6:20 ESV

but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Matthew 6:21 ESV

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

John 9:4 ESV

We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.

John 9:5 ESV

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

So if you're going to do anything at all for Christ, do it now.

CHRISTIAN SLUGGARD

Now is the time to do it. If you're going to share with people, if you're going to pray with people, if you're going to preach to people, if you're going to witness to people, if you're going to visit someone, if you're going to reconcile broken relationships, don't wait. Do it today. Do it now. Prepare for the future by serving the Lord now.

UP THE antE

E=MC2. Energy equals mass times the speed of light squared. UP THE ANTE - TO RAISE THE STAKES.

30 IN 30

THE ANTE SLUGGARD GETS CRITICAL WORK DONE. THE SLUGGARD BUSYS HIMSELF EITHER WITH EASE, ENTERTAINMENT, AND OR VARIOUS EMPTY ENDEAVORS.

Matthew 9:37 ESV

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;

Acts 17:26 ESV

And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,

Acts 17:27 ESV

that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

Romans 10:8 ESV

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);

Romans 10:9 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:10 ESV

For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Romans 10:11 ESV

For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Romans 10:12 ESV

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.

Romans 10:13 ESV

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:14 ESV

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

Romans 10:15 ESV

And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

Romans 10:16 ESV

But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?”

Romans 10:17 ESV

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

2 Thessalonians 3:1 ESV

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you,

1 Peter 2:9 ESV

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

1 Peter 2:10 ESV

Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

1 Peter 2:11 ESV

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

1 Peter 2:12 ESV

Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

1 Timothy 1:18 ESV

This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,

1 Timothy 1:19 ESV

holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith,

1 Timothy 1:20 ESV

among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

1 Corinthians 5:5 ESV

you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

2 Peter 1:3 ESV

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

2 Peter 1:4 ESV

by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

2 Peter 1:5 ESV

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,

2 Peter 1:6 ESV

and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,

2 Peter 1:7 ESV

and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

2 Peter 1:8 ESV

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:9 ESV

For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

2 Peter 1:10 ESV

Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

2 Peter 1:11 ESV

For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:12 ESV

Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.

2 Peter 1:13 ESV

I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder,

2 Timothy 1:5 ESV

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

2 Timothy 1:6 ESV

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands,

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

CHRISTLESS SLUGGARD

And of you Christless Sluggard, why aren't you preparing for your future? The best thing for you to do is to give your life to Christ, to trust Him to be your Savior.

CHRISTLESS SLUGGARD

You might scoff at that, you might neglect that, but I want you to know judgment is coming. He's coming. And all people will give a reckoning. So make preparations no matter who you are. So that's the ant's pattern.