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GO TO THE ANTS!. PROVERBS 6:6-8. HAVE YOU EVER. … thought about an ant ’ s life? … wondered about they function? … pondered how they communicate? … thought about how they find food? … wondered how they eat in the winter? Evidently Solomon Did!. ABOUT SOLOMON.
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GO TO THE ANTS! PROVERBS 6:6-8
HAVE YOU EVER .. • … thought about an ant’s life? • … wondered about they function? • … pondered how they communicate? • … thought about how they find food? • … wondered how they eat in the winter? Evidently Solomon Did!
ABOUT SOLOMON Dabbled in architecture, agriculture, animal husbandry Wrote poetry, prose, and proverbs He was very familiar with marital customs In his spare time, he ruled Israel But still found time to be a keen observer of nature, including ant behavior
Things Solomon Noticed About Ants PURPOSE PREPARE PROVIDE PROTECT PRODUCTIVE PROLIFERATE
SOCIAL ORDER OF ANTS Queen Soldier Worker
Each goes about its work with dedication Queen lives 20 years, producing 7 million eggs Soldiers protect the Queen and Colony, using their heads to close up entrances Workers do all the manual labor, lifting 20 times their weight, and move very fast. In human terms, they lift 4000 lb and run 50 mph SO CONSIDER THIS PURPOSE
APPLICATION Every believer has a job to do Every one has a place to fill Every job and every place is important to the well-being of the church Go about our job with dedication and perseverance WE CAN’T BE LAZY AND GO ABOUT OUR FATHER’S BUSINESS!
PREPARE Workers gather food and maintain the colony When rain is imminent, they build higher walls They keep the ground around the den free from debris They keep the Queen’s chamber free from clutter and move the eggs to keep them warm
APPLICATION God gives us the ministry of preparing for eternity. We help keep the Lord’s House in order and watch over His ministries That includes being workers in the field to help bring in the harvest WE HAVE TO PREPARE OUR HEARTS TO BE ABOUT OUR FATHER’S BUSINESS!
God gives ants intuition to provide for the pantry Ants look every warm day for food to store for winter They communicate by touch. Scouts pass along the scent of what they have found so others can join in the work All the colony is fed by provision of the workers PROVIDE
APPLICATION God wants us to make provision for eternity We pass along the “scent” so others can find the Lord If we wait, it will be too late. WE HAVE THE PROVISION THE WORLD NEEDS: JESUS CHRIST! WE MUST BE ABOUT OUR FATHER’S BUSINESS!
Soldier ants protect the colony from harm They block up entrances with their heads, only admitting those who belong to the colony Some ants don’t fight but simply ward off danger by “gasterflabbing”; emitting an unpleasant odor When an ant fights, he fights to the death PROTECT
APPLICATION He commands us to stand firm God tells to protect our testimonies through His Word We are to be watchful and protective of others THERE IS NO HIGHER CALLING THAN IN CHRIST WE MUST BE ABOUT OUR FATHER’S BUSINESS!
Ants are extremely intelligent, possessing about 40,000 brain cells. They are “thinkers” Processing power of an ant is equal to early computers Ants not only are gatherers but also aerate the soil They continually search, scout, send, and secure That is why Solomon urged lazy people to follow the example of the ant PRODUCTIVE
APPLICATION God expects us to be productive for His kingdom God gives us gifts to use the Gift While gifts are different, they are of great value to God WE SHOULD NEVER SHELVE OUR GIFTS, BUT USE THEM PRODUCTIVELY. WE MUST BE ABOUT OUR FATHER’S BUSINESS!
There is an estimated 1.5 million ants for every person on Earth Scientist estimate the total weight of ants equal humans’ weight PROLIFERATE
APPLICATION God calls us to proliferate; that is, win the lost to Christ We cannot win unless we send the Word Paul said, “How can they hear unless someone tells them?” GOD GIVES US A VOICE FOR HIS PURPOSE, TO SHARE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST WE MUST BE ABOUT OUR FATHER’S BUSINESS!
Solomon Observation About Ants • PURPOSE • PREPARE • PROVIDE • PROTECT • PRODUCTIVE • PROLIFERATE