Sermon Tone Analysis

Good Morning, it is such a blessing to be able to worship in our newly renovated sanctuary, especially on the day when we are able to honor our graduates.

I just want to take this time to also thank the building and grounds committee for working so hard to get this project accomplished they had alot to deal with and they did a terrific job, so thank you all.

You know the Bible is a practical book, it is the most practical books I have ever read and one of the things that is so practical about it are the illustrations that explain Biblical truths.

Jesus was a master at using illustrating Biblical truth.

For example Jesus talked about the birds.

Matthew

He talked about little splinters and he talked about logs.

What about reeds?

Is that what John was a reed blowing in the wind, if the wind blew this way he bent, if it blew this way he bent the other way?

Everybody knew what he was talking about, He talked about farmers sewing seed.

All the people around Jerusalem it was agricultural.

He talked about coins

He said whose inscription is on that?

They said ceasars Jesus said then rend unto cesar what is cesar’s but render unto God what is God’s.

They didn’t know how to handle Jesus, He spoke with plain ordinary things to explain spiritual truth.

He talked birds flowers, reeds seed, coins.

There’s somebody just like Him in the OT and his name is Solomon.

He would have graduated Magna Cum laude, he wasnt like me I graduated thank you lawdy.

1 Kings

1 Kings 4:32-

He talked about plants, he talked about trees he talked about animals, birds creatures fish, and he explained spiritual truth sounds alot like Jesus doesnt it.

One of the things he used to teach an object leasson was a little tiny ant.

I want to speak to you all this morning, on this subject wisdom from the anthill.

(Let’s Pray)

Lesson number one from an anthill.

It’s Wise to Plan Ahead

Solomon said that ants can teach human beings about planning ahead, even though an ant doesnt have some supervisor.

They have no chief no officer, no ruler, but it knows enough to prepare for the future.

Her motto is not eat drink and be merry, Just live for today.... no she was thinking about the future.

She prepares her food in the summer months so she can reap a harvest in the atumn month, so that she can have food all year long.

Even though she is just a tiny insignificant ant she is wise enough to plan ahead for the future.

The Lord put that wisdom into her, you cant tell me theres not a creator.

Thats not an accident, don’t say thats just nature that was God almighty who put that wisdom there.

She is wise enough to plan ahead.

Can just tell you that many people when they enter into different chapters of their lives think they will just live for today.

That is not the right mindset, you better realize that every decision you make can eaither make your life or break your life and the one thing we need to learn is how to plan ahead by submitting those plans to God.

Sometimes our plans are not His plans, and we need to learn to be ok with that, because having His best far outweighs our best for our lives.

We need to take life seriously, so many people just run off to college and they think well if I am going to go wild now is the time.

God is telling you NO this is the time you and I plot the course of your future.

Plan ahead involve me!

Ask me, let me lead and guide you and take life seriously.

There are many dangers and pitfalls and things that can ruin your life, be wise not foolish.

Plan ahead and rely on the Lord to help you accomplish you goals.

Submit your future to the Lord and seek His Spirit in the present.

Even an ant understands you need to plan ahead.

God wants us to be like th little ant.

Proverbs 16:

God even has a plan for you

Are you as smart as an ant, even an ant knows you plan for the future.

It Wise To Work Hard

Proverbs 6:

This ant has an excellent work ethic, hour after hour, everyday shes working.

But the ant also understands that they work better together they know if they work together as a team they can get more done.

They are very strong for their size.

He said observe an ants ways, and if you kick over an anthill, what do they do?

Do they call the ant lawyer and sue you?

No they just say hey we got a problem let’s put it back together.

Solomon is saying this ant is like a worker on a farm.

WORK HARD AT EVERYTHING YOU DO KNOWING THAT YOU DO IT FOR GOD NOT MAN.

Shouldn’t that be our attitude i mean HE DIED FOR YOU SHOULDNT WE STRIVE TO PLEASE GOD WITH OUR DECISIONS WITH OUR FINANCES WITH OUR STUDIES, WITH EVERY AREA OF LIFE WE SHOULD SEEK TO PLEASE THE ONE WHO DIED FOR US!

I’m telling you if you can determine to bring God glory in the smallest tasks in life and you work hard to do so in the power of the Holy Spirit there is no limit to where God will take you.

There are two great days in a persons life the day they were born and the day they discover why.

I have so many people who say to me I wish I just knew why I was born, I wish I knew the purpose for my life, this comes up more than you can imagine.

YOU WERE MADE TO GLORIFY GOD!

YOU WERE MEANT TO REFLECT THE LIGHT AND LOVE OF JESUS TO THE WORLD!!!

WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AT YOU AND ME GOD DESIRES THEY DONT SEE US BUT SEE JESUS IN US!

There was once a little boy who took an old peice of wood and her carved that little wood down into the shape of a boat and one day he came into his room to get it and he could’t find it anywhere he was heartbroken it was nowhere to be found.

ONe day he was walking by a thrift store and he saw his little blue ship apparently the owner had found the little boat and had put it into the window to sell it.

the little boy tried to convince the man it was his but to no avail so the little boy worked and saved his money and went and bought that boat back and as he walked out of the store the storeowner heard him say, NOW YOU ARE TWICE MINE

I MADE YOU AND I BOUGHT YOU!!!

I’m here to tell EVERYONE HERE THIS MORNING YOU WERE MADE BY GOD AND FOR GOD!!!!

HE MADE YOU AND THEN HE BOUGHT YOU BACK WITH THE BLOOD OF HIS SON JESUS CHRIST!

So everything you do let it be done for the glory of God and work hard at it.

In a day and age where hard work and integrity are in short supply you be different work hard knowing that what you are doing you are doing for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now there are those who say that work is the punishment for sin, wrong.

Remember in God gave Adam a job before sin entered the world.

Work is God’s plan for everybody, if your healthy.

In the NT there was a church the church in Thessalonica these churches were so into end times they said Jesus is coming back, so let’s just quit our jobs and Paul sent two letters to rebuke them.

If your able to work work, if your able to work it will be a witness to the nonChristians and you wont have to depend on other people, not the government or your parents.

2 Thessalonians 3:10-

He is saying if your able to work, work, but if your not able then yes you can get some assitance but listen to me if you are lazy and wont work then the church owes you nothing and the government owes you nothing you need to go to work.

Let me say this, the JEwish people view work as being just as sacred as work.

Everyday you go to work you do that work for the glory of GOd.

If your on an aseembly line then you do it for the glory of Jesus.

If you a janitor then you clean for the glory of JEsus, if your a doctor whatever you do find the holiness in the common things.

THey are just as sacred as everything else if you do them for the glory of JEsus Christ.

It is a good thing to work hard.

is a good thing to work hard.

It’s Foolish to be Lazy

I wanna warn you about memorizing this verse, because just about the time your gonna hit the snooze button your gonna hear this, how long will you lie down oh sluggard...

Im up Lord Im up Lord

I promise you and thats a good thing, you have to learn to win the battle of the covers amen, during the work week and on Sunday when it is time to give God His time, on His day.

Don’t be full time members of bedside baptist.

GOd said get up and go to work to sit and be a couch potato.

Slackers have an excuse for not going to work all the time.

Proverbs 24:29-34

They dont hit a lick at anything but they can tell you exactly what you need to do.

MY friends the Bible has alot to say about being lazy and if you can work and your not working you are lazy.

If you can’t work that’s a totally different thing, but if you can and you wont.... nobody owes you anything.

If you can and you wont it’s foolish.