Go To The Ant

to the Ant" (Proverbs 6:6-11)

Introduction: There is a. principle which the Lord has buH t into Hi~; marvelous creation bot.h i:n the materi.al as well as the spiritual realms, and that principle is that the one who is diligent in his work wtIl prosper, but the one who is not diligent will not. The one who toils to provide for himself and for his family will seldom fail to accomplish \yhat he sets out to do. The one who thinks that he can do so without much effort will ;::;oon realize that he is digging a pit for himself. The same is true in the spiritual realm as well. What a person sows, that he will reap. And he will,eap in accordance \;.]ith how mner.. and what he sows. Just as the one who sows corn may not expect to reap wheat, you cannot expect to reap the benefits of a godly life without sowing the seeds of godliness in your life. And just a.s the person who labors to bring his crop to full harvest cannot expect much yield without much effort, so you cannot expect to reap a harvest of gracious rewards on that great day of God's judgment, unless you have sown and toiled and labored throughout your life. What yon have sown, you will reap, If you sow and work diligently, you \yill reap mnch. If you have not sown much or labored much, you will reap little. If you have not sown at all. then you will reap nothing It is important, then, that we be sowers amI !;.vorkers if we are to expect a harvest. This is ,,,hat Solomon teaches us this morning in our passage, by pointing us to a very small, but industrious creature, to illustrate that kind of labor which is nec.essary for the greatest benefits. And ,·]hat he tells us is that, We should go to the ant to learn the wisdom of diligent Jabor.

A careLu1 study (I.f the ant {,;;ill reap many good and wise lessons.

1. He Says First of All. "GO TO THE ANT.

OBSER\fE HER WAY':" AND BE fiISE. "/ A. You Must Go to Her Before You Will Learn the Lesson. 1. One of our b.igges t prob1 ems in learning anything is to knmi wlla t i t is that we need to learn and where to go to find .it. a. Because of this, we often go after knowledge, which is not really godly knowledge. b. We imbibe things that we ought not to. And CIS CI resu.lt we are weakened in the Christian faith. c. Forinstal1ce, a Chdsti<'Jl1ity that does l10t urge upon us a li.fe o.f diligent service and liv.ing by rule is a perverted kind of Christianity • .for it does not follow the teaching of Christ 110r o.f His apostles. d. Paul said, "FOR WE ARE HIS fiORKMANSHIP CREATED IN GHRIST JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM" (Eph. 2: 10) • e. After Paul (<\Irate to the ChrisUans at Corinth that there {,'auld certainly be a future resurrection. he said, " THEREFORE , MY BELOVED BRETHREN, BE STEADFAST, IMHOf/ABLE, ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD, KNOWING THAT YOUR TOIL IS NOT IN VAIN IN THE LORD" Cor. H: 58) • The resl1rrectiol1 gut.trantees that your labor will not all be lost. You ~vil1 be grac:ious.ly rewarded accord:ing to your works on tha t day. f. Our Lord Jesus 8a:id, "WE MUS,], WOPJ( THE WORKS OF HIM tlHO SENT ME, AS LONG AS IT IS DAY; NIGHT IS CONING, WHEN NO MAN CAN WORK" (John 9: 4) •

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2. [(nowing that we are to abound in the work of the Lord, where shal.l vl'e go for an example of how we ought to labor? Solomon says that r,le may learn much about the t\7.isd0111 of d.iligence, Jf ,ie wil.l but go to the cwt. B.

But, Going Is Not Enough, You Must A.lso Observe Her. And If You ~liU Take the Time to Do S£1, You Will Not.ice Several Things. 1. First, she has no chief, no gu.ide to direct her f",ork. a, Unlike the cHillies of IsraeJ ~¥ho lJad chiefs to direct Llu:!111 in times of wa..1:" , the ants have none to ve them this authoritative (Josh. 1(;'~24), b. There are 110 supe:r:ior ants that have the power to command other ants to do anything. They simp.ly do {",hat it is that: they need to do.

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Second, she has no officer, no one to oversee what she does. a. The Egyptian Pharaoh set taskmasters over the IsraeLites: and their foreman to make sure that they finished their quota of bricks f.·com day to day 5: 6) • b. But the ants do not have any overseers. They don't need anyone to check up on them, or to keep them moUvated. They don 't need a whip at their back to compel them to continue woricing.

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Lastly, she does not have emy ruler to call her into account. a. The Je{vS were botl1 accountable to Pharaoh in Egypt and to the kings of Israe.l, and to i';lll to wllOm they were subjected (Is a , 14:5). If they failed to do what they were commanded, then they ~"otlld have to .face punishment, b. The ants have no king; they are accountable to no one. Yet they still work ·with as much diligence as those ~vho are accountable.

4. Not having this cha.in of accountability, the ant continues to be a marvelous exa~rnple of diligent labor. a. She prepares her food in the summer for her da:ily needs, at the time when that food is al-ra.i1ab.le. b. And she gathers her food in the harvest so thai she w.ill have in store for the ",linter months when food will be scarce (Keil 6:141). c. If you've ever wa t ched ants tl1en you know this to be find true. They endlessly search for rood, and once it, they tirelessly drag it back to their nest. They are models of true diligence. cf...-~..-ftt1tf,thi slllfJdel II. Secondly, This Model Forms the Background to Which Solomon Now Contrasts tbe Opposite Behavior of the Sluggard. A. Unlike the Ant, the Sluggard Has Those to Whom He Is Accol1ntable. 1, If he .1S employed by someone to work in his .field or vineyard, he is accountable to him. a. Anyone who is employed by someone else knows that there is an ilccountability structure bu:ilt in to their tvork. No one ever takes it [or granted that their employees will always do what they're toJd. b. When I was a custod.ian at La Jo.l1a High Selwo1, tve were under the supervision of the head custodian and the cre(,,~leader. Their job t,?8S to make sure that we (Lid ours and to limke sure that :it was done neat and on time.

3 2. But even i f he is self-employed, the .is still accountable to the Lord of the Harvest, who wcltcbes alTer all that he does, and will one day call him to account. B. But Even Having This Added AccountabiU ,HiB Life Is SUll Not Characterized by the Industry of the Ant. 1. He does not gather fLis food times of p.lenty, He f4astes his opportulli Ues to prepare. 2. He enjoys his sleep too milch. When asked, "HOW LONG WILL YOU LIE DOWN, 0 SLUGGARD? WHEN WILL YOU ARISE FROM YOUR SLEEP? He replies, "A LITTLE SLEEP, A LITTLE SLUMBER, .A LIT'nE FOLDING Of:? THE HllNDS TO REST." a. "ll Little rest, that's all I ask is just a little rest!" b. But he is only fooLing himse.lf. He :is step by step descending down a path which leads to total carelessness. c. The folcUng of the hands, wh.ich is to cross them OFer the chest, or to Pllt them into the bosom, indicates that he is idle. Solomon wJ'ites in Ecclesiastes 4:5, "THE FOOL FOLDS HIS HANDS AND CONSUMES HIS OWN FLESH." d. He does not pJan for tlle future" but Lives everyday for thai day ~'tlone. 3.

As a result S'o}omon says that h.is poverty f,.li1l come suddenly. a. It will come upon him unforeseen as a vagabond fft;ho comes in wi thout advance warning. b. And i t w.ill come in with 110stile force, like a man dressed in armor who comes only to attack. He {.<'ill not be able to withstand it (Ken 6:142).

III. Seeing the End of Each Is Such, How Much Ought You to Tmi tate the Ant and to Avo:id the Ways o[ the Sluggard. A. It Is Because the Lord fIas Bui.lt a Godly Virtue into This 8111al1 Insect that lIe Wants You to Imitate Her. Think about how this v:irtue cbaracterized the saints in a1J ages. 1 Paul was a hard worker. f.lhen it came to labor, he could hold himself up as a pattern to tlle Thessalon.ians. He said, "FOR YOU YOURSELVES KNO'kl HOW YOU OUGHT TO FOLLOW OUR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE WE DID NOT .ACT IN AN UNDISCIPLJNED MANNER AMONG YOU, NOR DID f¥E EAT ANYONE'S BREAD WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT, BUT WITH LABOR AND HARDSHIP WE KEPT WORKING NIGHT AND DAY SO THAT WE MIGHT NOT BE A BURDEN TO ANY OF YOU; NOT BECAllSE WE DO NOT H"4VE THE RIGHT TO THIS', BUT IN ORDER TO OPFER OURSELVES AS A MODEL FOR YOlf, THAT YOU MIGHT FOLLOW OUR EXAMPLE" (2 Thes, 3: 7-9), 2. It is a v:irtue whicl1 characterized John ~lesley. Wesley once gave these directions to his disciples, "1, Be d.iligent. Never be unemployed for a moment; never be tri.flingly employed. Neve.r while away time; never spend any.more time at any place Uuw is strictly necessary. 2. Be se:Llous, Let your motto be, Holiness to the LOTd.Avoid all Lightness, jesting, and foolish talk. 11. You h;:we nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore spend and be spent .in this f,,7ork. And go always not to those who want YOH, but to those who t.Jant you most" (Ryle Great 100-10n, Wesley embodied tl1ese principles himself, and because of this he was able to accomplisb a phenomenal amount of work. 3. George White.field was another example. J.C. Ryle, ill 11is book Christ.ian Leaders of the Eighteenth Century, wrote of him, "He wa.s a man of unwearied diligence and laboriousness about his Master's bus.iness. It would be diff.icul t, perhaps, to name anyone in the annals of the Churches who worked so haId for Christ, and so

thoroughly spent 1-Limself in his service. '{enry Venn, in a Funeral sermon for him, preached at Bath, bore the following test:imony,: 'w11at a s'ign and wonder tvas this man of God in the greatness of his labours! One cannot but stand amazed that his mortal frarne could, [ur the space of' near years, without interruption, sustain the (.;eigIn of' them;' for f"rbat so trying to the human frame, in youth especially. as • and violent straiRing of tl1elungs? Wiw that knows their structure !<Jou.ld t11.1nk ~it poss.il>le that: a person Little above the age of manhood cou.ld speak .in a e week, and that for years -- in forty hours, and in very many weeks -- and trlat t.o thousands; and after this labour .ins tead of taking any res t, could be offering up prayers and intercessions, w:ith hymns and tlla] songs, as his manner was, .in every house to which be was imrited? The truth .is, that in point of .lal}onr this extraont-inary servant of God did as much in a few weeks as most of tlw . "e who exert tllemselves are ab.le to do in the space of a year'" (57), 4. To see this vLrtl1e in godly men is enough of a reason to imi tate it. But the main reason we should be(~ause .it is a v:irtue which cl1aract:erizes our Lord Jesus Chris t" The saints of aLl ages, who have sougbt to put all the Lord Jesus Christ have also sought [:0 put t111..::; v.lrtue on as well. a. He said, "MY FATHER IS WORKING UNTIL NOW, AND I MYSELF AM WORKING" (John 5: J b. Jesus, from the time that He t;7aS incarnated in the fATOmb of the llirgin all, has been {-larking" c. He kept His Father-'.e; Law perfectly to fulfill all righteousness, so that His chi.ldren might be clothed with tha trigh t eousness • d. He laid down His life on the cross in order to redeem His people fyom their sins. e" He rose again from the grave, appeared (:0 many, ascended into heaven, sat at the right hand of' God. And even then His .labor f.v'as not at 8n end; He stil.l prays for His people from hea ..ren. The author to the Hebrews ~vrites, "HENCE, ALSO, HE IS ABLE TO SAVE FOREVER THOSE WHO DRAW NEAR TO GOD THROUGH HIM, SINCE HE ALWAYS LIVES TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR THEN" (Heb. 7:25). This labor of His .is to be an example to us that. we might [allow in His footsteps as well. B. The Lord Calls You this [\forning,

by Way of Command, and by [vay of Example to Di.1igent Service. 1. He calls you to be .industrious ill all o.f your work, realizIng that an YOll do :is l.;1ork for Him. 8. He has given you all occupation in life by which you may earn your living and provide .for your household. You are to be di.ligent in making sure that you do provide for their needs. You are to be d.iligent on the job so tllat those who hire you may get the very best (.{Iorker tbal: they can for their money. c. You are to be di.ligent in managing your househo.lds so that you t.ake the best care of the that the Lord has entrusted to your stewardship. d. lind you ,'iye to be diligent :in those He has entrusted to YOUT care and to them the best and godLiest education that you can. e. You were created .in Christ Jesus for good works (Eph. 2: U)). Everything that you do, "f1IHETHER YOU EAT OR DRINK OR WHATEVER YOU DO", you are to lIDO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD" (l Cor. 10:31).

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g. You are to take the ta.lents that the tard has entrusted to you and Ilse them ,,,:isely and diligently to bring an increa.se to Him., h. You are to use tbose me[ws which He has appointed to help you to do this. ) Un1ike the ant, He has given to you guides. He g:ives you a conscience to correct YOll, to YOll, llliniste.["s to correct you, and eldeys to shepherd you. ) He has g.·iven to you an overseer to watch over you to see if you are Him as best Y0l1 can. The Lord, f f" is1 . wh ose eyes are as a t "·,.lame 0 - .-u:e/~ [;late ung you (Rev ~ 1: .14; 2: 18) • "THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE IN EVER.Y PLACE, WATCHING THE EVIL AND THE GOOD" (Proverbs 15:3). (iLi) You have a ruler who ~,7il1 one day cal] you to account. "EVERY ONE OF US NLTST GIVE ACCOUNT OF HIMSELf TO GOD" (flom. 14:12), He wiJl call you to account both for the Lime and s lJe bas you, Don't t the warning of the.. Pu..c~'lJ.f!.. of the talents. (iv) AYe you ~. to":>5rbeir best advan ? Are you s up supplies for the fut.ure t.;hen you will not be able to work? Are you espec.iai laying up treasures in heaven during your stay here, ,.;hieh .is the 0111y time that you w.ill be able to? He wants you to lise the time and energy He has given you to its best advantage, so that you might prosper forever. (v) Slothfulness is a sin. t service .is the fruit of a true and lively fa:ith. Do not let s.loth gain allY ground ill any area of your life, f-lZwther you fa.ll into it La sleeping, in ea or in recreation. Live by rule. Plan out your. day. Rise eaJ:'1y to serve God, Store your mind witll1Knowledge of fIis Word and w.il1. Put it into practice. Put: to deatb l1w deeds of the flesh, put 011 the Lord Jesus Christ. St.rive to be like Him! 2.. Lastly, _if you are apart from Chr_ist, this calls you to make diligent and labor.ious use of the means that the Lord has appointed for your salvation. a. He gives you the same means of conscience, Scripture. and Gospel ministers to ~.;arn yOIl of your lost condition. b. He bas given to you a conscience to convince you that you have s:inned against Hiin. He bas given you Scripture, which many Christians in the past were not fible to possess, but wh.ich sits on your she.lf or tabJe .in your houses He bas given to you ministers to point you to Cbr.isL Are you these means diLigenUy to enter into H_1S kingdOJl1? Are you striving to enter onto that: narrow path (Luke 13:24)? c. The Lord commands you this mo:rning, "Ar<1ake, tboll tJUi t sZeepest, and Christ shall thee 1.ight" (Eph. 5:14), The more tllai: YOll .sleep away the opportunities of your salvation, the more LikeJy _it is tbat you ,,,LU nAVel:' awaken, You may have yet a thousand tomorrows, but: you may still end up perisbing in your poverty, when the Son of Man comes t YOll as em armed man summoning you to judgment (Br.idges 62). Awake from your sleep and trust in the LoYd. Come to Christ, and be saved. .ArnelL