“A Good Name”
(based on the devotions of Selwyn Hughes: “Every Day Light”)
Sunday, July 31, 2011; Ecclesiastes 7:1-8:17

Introduction: Versace, Calvin Klein, Gucci, Ralph Lauren. When I say those names what do you think? You probably think of expensive products. Why? Because they have worked long and hard to attain a ‘good name’ for their company. They have sought to make top of the line products. If they would produce something that is not worthy of their name, it would damage their reputation, and keep people from buying their products.
So far in this series we have looked at the first 6 chapters of the book of Ecclesiastes. We have talked about how life is meaningless without God guiding our lives, how God has a time for all events to happen in life, and how to find contentment (not through things, but in our relationship with God). Today we talk about having a good name. As children of God, created in the image of God, we need to make sure that we keep a good name.

I. Wise Advice- (Ecclesiastes 7:1-14)
This chapter is similar to chapter 3 because Solomon again makes his point using opposites. So let’s briefly look at what Solomon is trying to teach us…
a. Birth and Death- He starts first with birth and death. What
Solomon says might surprise you, as he says that the day of death is better than the day of birth. How can this be? Aren’t we always grieving at funerals and rejoicing at births? If you think about it, you will understand that death is really a birth into eternal life with God, whereas birth is the entrance into this world, which is filled with much heartache, struggle, and evil. While we can experience some joy here on this earth, it is nothing compared to the joy we will experience being in the presence of God; the presence of love Himself!
b. Mourning and Feasting- Next, Solomon turns the tables on us
again, saying that the house of mourning is better than the house of feasting. In his wisdom Solomon is able to look beneath the surface of things. Solomon wants us to understand that in understanding death, we can understand life all the more. If you are prepared for your death, then you will not be afraid of it, and you will live your life with freedom and excitement. You will make the most of the time you have.
c. Sorrow and Laughter- Third is sorrow being better than laughter.
Now I love to laugh, and I am not too found of sorrow, but Solomon seems to have a deeper thought about this. What brings us sorrow, more often than not, will stay with us much longer than what brings us laughter. The things that cause sorrow are the things that are more dear to our hearts. We should be grateful for the sorrow, because it helps us to understand the depth of our emotions and love.
d. A wise man’s rebuke- If I were to ask you which you prefer, a
rebuke or listening to a song, I bet most of you would choose listening to a song. But Solomon tells us that the rebuke from a wise man is better. We actually need people in our lives who will keep us in line and living right. We need people who will call us on our bad behavior. A good rebuke, when done in love, will help to keep us on the right path and keep us strong in our living for God.
e. The end and the beginning- Next, is that the end is better than the
beginning. There are some people who like to know how things turn out before they start the book or movie. They will actually read the end first. I know that when I tape a Lakers game, I will find out if they won or not before I watch it. Why would I want to watch them lose? When you know how things end, you have the whole picture before you. In knowing the beginning and the end, the truth can be seen. In fact, the Bible tells us about the end: how in the end God will call all people to Himself, and all will be judged. The righteous (those who have Christ) will go to heaven to live with God; the unrighteous (those who don’t have Christ) will go to hell. God has made the end clear to us.
f. Patience and Pride- You might not think that patience and pride
are opposites, but Solomon does, and he says that patience is better than pride. When we are patient, we are more able to make good decisions, because we don’t rush to judgment. When we are prideful we tend to push aside wisdom thinking that we already know everything we need to know, and thinking that we can do it on our own. How often does a prideful person play the role of the fool because he did not wait for more information, or seek out help?
g. Prosperity and Adversity- Lastly, there is prosperity and
adversity. Life will bring us both. Solomon instructs us in how to respond when we find ourselves there. When you find yourself in times of prosperity, be joyful. Acknowledge not only the blessings themselves, but the source of those blessings: God. But there will also be times of adversity, and when you experience adversity, seek out God. The times of adversity will make us stronger, and help us to be all the more thankful for those times of prosperity.

II. Keeping Your Balance- (Eccl 7:15-29; Ps 73:2-3; Js 1:5; 1 Kgs 3:5)
a. The righteous and the wicked- One of the hard issues in life is
where we see the wicked prosper and the righteous struggle. I know many people who have questioned God about this. We believe that fairness would dictate that God would give the righteous prosperity, and cause the wicked to suffer. The psalmist, in Psalm 73 struggled with this, causing him to lose focus of his own faith, when he said in verses 2-3, “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”
A tyrant lives on, while a missionary family on their way to bring help and medical care to others is lost in a plane crash. We struggle to make sense of this, unless we have an unshakeable trust in God, and believe that one day God will answer every question to our satisfaction.
Solomon warns us in verse 16, “Do not be overrighteous…” If you think yourself better than you are, it will cause you to be prideful and lead you into sin. If you get too bitter with these thoughts, it will cause you to lack love for others. John really challenges us in this, as he says in 1 John 4:20, “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”
Solomon wants us to keep our balance in how we react to the things of this world, and keep our trust in God, who will justify all things in the end!
b. Inner Strength- Solomon is trying to impart his wisdom to us,
knowing that wisdom provides inner strength. One who operates with wisdom possesses more strength than those who do not possess wisdom. When we have wisdom, we have the inner strength to cope with whatever comes—tensions, stresses, and problems that are not easily resolved.
Inner strength comes from knowing that we are not perfect, but God can still work in and through our lives in the midst of our imperfection. As Solomon says in verse 20, “Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.” In this we show ourselves to be wise, because our wisdom comes from God. We know that we are not wise in ourselves, but with whatever wisdom God gives to us. Again, Solomon says in verse 23, “All this I tested by wisdom and I said, ‘I am determined to be wise’— but this was beyond me.” Or as James tells us in the New Testament, in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach.”
Even though it is called ‘inner strength,’ the strength that we find within us comes from God through seeking God, and seeking wisdom from God.
c. Be the one who is righteous- In 1 Kings 3:5 we see God saying
something remarkable to King Solomon: “Ask whatever you want me to give you.” What did Solomon ask for? WISDOM. In the midst of the wisdom God gave to Solomon, he went out seeking more. When he put his findings together, he concluded that human wisdom was nothing compared to God’s wisdom. Although Solomon was wise, he realized how far short of God he was.
Likewise, he realized that he could not be righteous on his own either. As he says in verse 28, “While I was still searching but not finding— I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all.” Now Solomon is not saying that men are more righteous than women, or that women cannot be righteous. His point here is how scarce are the righteous. That shouldn’t surprise us, because if you look around our world you will see that people care more about riches, and possessions, and pleasure, and fun, than they do about being righteous. If you polled a large group of people, you would be hard pressed to find anyone who would list ‘being righteous’ on their top ten list of priorities.
Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, sin came into the world. We are all sinners. Our primal desire is now sin, not righteousness. It is only through Christ that we can desire to be righteous, and can become righteous. We must desire to be righteous if we hope to pursue righteousness.

III. Looking at Your Life- (Ecclesiastes 8:1-8)
a. Working things out- Often when you talk of possessing wisdom,
people think that wisdom comes from knowing many things. This is in part true. But having wisdom goes far beyond academics; it is more than acquiring knowledge. Wisdom is being able to ‘put into practice’ the knowledge you possess. You probably know people who have a great deal of knowledge, but they don’t make wise decisions; they don’t put their knowledge to good practice.
Many commentators believe that in chapter 8, Solomon is giving us a self-portrait, and using himself as an illustration of how wisdom works in the lives of those who have position of authority over others. Remember, as king, Solomon was very powerful, and had a great kingdom under him.
If we hope to work things out in our lives, we have to first get the big picture. The big picture includes understanding that our life is filled with fulfilling our commitments. In Ecclesiastes 8:2 Solomon says: “Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God.” Now, while we don’t have a king that we make oaths before, we do make vows and commitments all the time. Maybe you signed a contract for work, or to buy your home or car. When you got married you made a vow to your spouse. When you accept Christ as your savior and Lord you make a vow to Him to follow in the ways of God. When we live by these vows, our lives will be much more constructive, productive, and worthwhile.
Working things out in our lives is more beneficial when we do it with a smile. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather be around a person who smiles, than a person who is gloomy. And when we smile, we seem to have more energy and enthusiasm in the way we live our lives. Wisdom, the kind that comes from God, should light up our face. Thus, we can know that God is at work and alive in our lives when we radiate cheerfulness.
b. Our limitations- We all go through tough times. These tough times
are almost as regular in our lives as waking up each day. We have to keep these tough times in perspective, and not allow them to cause us to doubt the Lord. We should not withdraw our faith, trust, or support from God because we are going through a tough time, or a series of tough times.
Ecclesiastes 8:6 says, “For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a person may be weighed down by misery.” When tough times come, understand that we can and should go to God, but not to demand that He remove the struggle from our lives. And we can’t let these tough times weigh us down. God will give us the strength to overcome them, and to learn from them. Many people have ruined their lives because they did the wrong thing, or even the right thing at the wrong time. The wise person will know the proper time and way to respond.
As we get to verses 7 & 8, we see Solomon giving us an important reminder: we have limitations. We don’t know the future, we don’t know where the wind will blow, we don’t know the time of our death, and we don’t know when war will break out. These limitations should not cause us concern, as much as they should be a catalyst to lead us to turn to God and trust God all the more!

IV. Understanding the Mystery- (Ecclesiastes 8:9-17; John 3:12)
a. Providence- Wouldn’t you agree with me that life is full of
mystery? There are many mysteries that exist here on this earth. Is there a Loch Ness monster? Do aliens exist? How come there are ten hot dogs in a package, but only 8 hot dog buns? Some mysteries are worth pursuing, while others are not. There are many mysteries that are really just a waste of our time.
In the last section of Ecclesiastes, chapter 8, Solomon turns his attention to some mysteries that don’t have clear answers…
1. The first is seen in 8:10, where Solomon says, “Then too, I saw the wicked
buried—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.” Have you noticed that when you go to a funeral, even of someone who was wicked, only praise is spoken of them. Let’s say you go to the funeral of a crime lord. They don’t talk about the drugs he pushed, and the people he killed, and the cops he paid off. They talk about him as a loving husband, and a caring father, and a generous man. Believe me, when he gets to heaven, he won’t hear praise there. He will hear the truth.
2. The second mystery was why the sentence for a crime was not carried out
quickly. Today it is probably worse than it was then. It can take up to a year just to start a trial, much less convict a criminal. Part of the result of this is that crime goes up, because criminals think the justice system to be weak.
3. The third mystery is something that we mentioned before, but see
Solomon speak of again in 8:14, “…the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve…” What is Solomon’s answer to this? Eat, drink, and trust in God. In other words, even though things don’t make sense to you, continue your routines, and more than anything, trust in the Lord to carry you through and make it all right in the end.
b. Don’t demand answers- One mistake that people often make
when they don’t understand what is going on in their lives, is to demand of God: they demand an answer from God, or they demand of God to make their problems go away. However, the sooner we come to terms with the fact that there are things which happen in life for which there is no adequate explanation, the better we will be in life. Now it is not wrong to DESIRE answers from God, but not to DEMAND answers. When we demand from God, we will move ourselves to greater trouble. If you remember Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, where he asks in John 3:12: “I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?” One of the biggest reasons we shouldn’t demand of God is because we won’t understand the answer. While God has an eternal perspective, and the wisdom to understand it, we do not.
Rather than demanding of God, we should trust. I know I say that a lot, but I say it because it is good and sound advice. The missing pieces of every puzzle of your life are in the hands of the One who put this universe together in the first place.
Story: There is a story of a young boy who was bullied by some other boys. They called him names, and called his father ‘Frankenstein,’ saying that his father put people to sleep, cut them open, and took out their parts. The truth was that the boy’s father was a surgeon. Even though this young boy couldn’t understand all that his father did, he trusted that his father wouldn’t be involved in anything bad.

Conclusion: The same is true of God. We don’t always understand how this world works. We don’t understand how eternity fits together. We don’t know why the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer. But God does, and God has a plan. As Jeremiah 29:11 tells us: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
In the midst of a sinful and often evil world, where even we ourselves are sinful, we need to live in a way that shows we have faith in God. When we do this, we will make a good name for ourselves as ‘faithful follower,’ and we will bring glory to God’s name as well. Amen.

“Finding Contentment”
(based on the devotions of Selwyn Hughes: “Every Day Light”)
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Ecclesiastes 5:1-6:12

Introduction: One of the things people are searching for in life is “contentment.” People want to be content. They want to feel like their life is complete. They search for this contentment in many ways: money, relationships, possessions, status. Most people seek to have contentment in their lives through the things of the world. In Ecclesiastes, chapter 1, we saw how King Solomon had all of this: he had money, relationships, possessions, and status. Yet, in the midst of having everything he could have from the world, his conclusion was that it was all meaningless.
For those of us who don’t have it all, and will probably never have it all, we need to learn from Solomon’s wisdom. We need to believe that Solomon is telling it to us straight when he says that the things of this world cannot bring us contentment. This morning we look at chapters 5 & 6 of the book of Ecclesiastes, as we try to learn from Solomon about what brings us contentment.

I. Watch Your Step-(Ecclesiastes 5:1-20; Proverbs 10:19; Matt. 6:24)
a. Guard your steps- Solomon starts chapter 5 with a strong declaration,
saying: “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen…” There are many people who come to church with a far too casual approach. Church is somewhere to be, or something to do on a Sunday morning. Church is where I’m supposed to be as a believer, so I go.
The truth is, the way we go to the house of God is what will determine what we receive at God’s house. When we make our way to church, we need to be spiritually alert. When we come to church, we need to give our energy over to hearing what God has to say to us. When we come to church we need to expect that God will be there to encounter us, and challenge us, and guide us with wisdom.
How are you at listening when you come to church? I don’t mean just hearing the words that are said. I mean listening with your heart. Meaning, that what is said, and what is sung, and what is prayed begins to affect you and change you. Do you really let church change you each week?
EX. A number of years ago, at a Worship Committee meeting, it was suggested that during the time of communion we had the accompanist play music. Why? People were concerned that the silence would cause the congregation to get bored or lose interest. That is why we play music at the offering time as well. However, the silence should be welcomed, because there is too few times in our lives where we ever stop and really LISTEN to God. The noise crowds God out.
b. Stand in awe- The truth is, the more we talk, and the less we listen, the
more likely we will be to fall into sin. As Proverbs 10:19 tells us, “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” This is because when we talk a lot, we tend to say things we don’t mean, and make promises we cannot keep.
It is true that people will often try to make “deals” with God, especially in difficult or emotional times. Then when things calm down and are back to normal, the promise is conveniently forgotten. People like to rationalize it by saying that they didn’t really mean it, or they just got caught up in the moment. A vow made to God ought to be treated seriously. When we make a vow, we should not do it impulsively, but with careful consideration and much prayer.
Solomon’s advice on this is quite simple, as he tells us in 5:5-6, “It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, ‘My vow was a mistake.’ Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?” We live in a day and age where commitments are not as important as they once were. It is nothing anymore for people to say they are going to do something, and then not follow through. OR, they volunteer and then after a short time decide they want to do something else.
As Solomon says in verse 7: “Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.” If we were in awe of God, we would understand that as Christians, our words reflect on God. When we speak without good intention, our words and our example becomes meaningless.
c. Money- In our society it is those who have money who tend to be the
most influential. The rich are usually the ones who make it more difficult for the poor. Because the rich tend to be the ones in politics, it is the rich who create great challenges in society by all the bureaucracy. Solomon is not a fan at all of bureaucracy.
Solomon wants us to see how the rich oppress the poor. Even more, Solomon wants us to understand that money is not the way to be satisfied. As he says in verse 10: “Whoever loves money, never has enough…” While having money is not a sin, the love of money that is. Even though your money may increase, your satisfaction in life will not increase.
Solomon is telling us that wealthy people find it difficult to sleep because they are worried about their investments. They find it difficult to trust others because they are afraid people will try to take their money. Or as someone once said: “More money, more worry; more worry, less sleep.”
More important than having a great amount of money is what we do with our money. This is called “stewardship.” If we surrender the money we have to God, then money can be seen as a ‘trust’—a trust that is owned by God. We are the trustees of this money that God has given to us. God is the owner. We then use this money we have been given with gratitude.
There is much more satisfaction in living in a way that makes a difference with our money!
d. Gold or God?- In verse 13-17 Solomon tells us of another ‘grievous’
evil that he has seen: “hoarded wealth,” or wealth that is lost by bad investments and bad choices. This is evil because the money is wasted instead of using it for the poor who need it, or for their children who could inherit it. Solomon wants us to understand that God is not happy when we misuse our money. This goes back to the fact that God is the owner of our money, and we are just the trustees.
There was a practice long ago where the ancients would put their wealth in their tombs alongside their bodies when they died. They did this thinking that they could keep their money with them in the afterlife. Oh how money can control us and overwhelm us. So many people choose gold over God. But remember Jesus’ very telling words to us in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” We cannot let money control our heart. We cannot let ourselves think that money will bring contentment.
e. Gladness- Solomon closes chapter 5 by challenging us to keep
ourselves occupied with gladness. In part it is a summary of the first five chapters, as he tells us to not believe in the thinking that happiness lies in the possession of material things. He tells us to keep ourselves from making money a priority. While it is needed, money shouldn’t be one of our priorities. Instead, Solomon tells us to find pleasure in the simple things of life.
Next, Solomon reminds us to find a way to enjoy our work. While work will not meet the deep needs of our souls, work is an important part of life, and therefore the more we enjoy it, the better off we will be in life. You can feel good about yourself after a good, long, hard day of work, knowing that you accomplished something with your life, and gave glory to God through your efforts.
Solomon closes the chapter with these words in verse 20: “They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.” This is a beautiful phrase from Solomon, as he tells us that the condition of our heart can be gladness. Nothing in this world can compare to a heart that is occupied with gladness.

II. The Source of Contentment- (Ecclesiastes 6:1-12)
a. What prevents us from finding contentment?- Seeing that Solomon
has gone on and on about how meaningless everything is, and how nothing in this world can bring us contentment, he now turns his attention to what prevents us from finding contentment.
Solomon talks about how God actually has designed it so that the things of this world don’t give us contentment. Why would God do this? Is God just an ogre who doesn’t want us to enjoy life? If you know God, then you know that this is in no way true. It isn’t about God keeping us from enjoying the things of this world, as much as it is the general design of our creation. God has created us so that we are to have a relationship with God. This is at the core of our being. God gives us the ability to derive pleasure from things and from other relationships, but the things themselves do not give the pleasure.
What I mean is that because all meaning comes from God, the pleasure we experience also comes from God. That is why God doesn’t want us to look to the things for contentment, but to God. If money gave us contentment, then why would we need God? If possessions gave us contentment, we would forget about God.
b. How our relationship with God fits in- This then takes us to
understanding how our relationship with God fits into the whole of life. Since God is our creator, there is a deep need for us to be connected to God, the source of life. This relationship with God is foundational. The reason why so many people feel lost in life is because they are disconnected from the source.
We have many relationships in life that include friends and family. These relationships are good, but they are not where our life is to be found. They help to make our life blessed, but they are not the source of life. Loving our neighbor is the second commandment, not the first. The first commandment is to love God with ‘all your heart, and soul, and mind, and strength.’ Solomon tells us that it is meaningless to treat our other relationships as the source of our lives.
Solomon then asks an interesting question in verse 6: “Even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?” Why would you want to live a thousand years on this earth. There is so much toil, and frustration, and heartache. God has designed for us a time on this earth, and then eternity with Him! Having that relationship with God puts this life into perspective, and prepares us for eternity.
c. Finding your identity- To find your identity is not easy to do. Some
are blessed by the fact that they can discover who they are early on in life. but many people struggle with this throughout their lifetime. As verse 7 says, “Everyone’s toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied.” Nothing brings satisfaction to a life where God is absent. You have heard of the term Type-A personality. Type-A personalities are the people who are obsessed with their work and they see the whole of their identity in their work. But we are in trouble if we can only feel good about ourselves based on our accomplishments.
In verse 7, the Hebrew word for ‘appetite’ is the word ‘nephesh,’ which can also be translated as soul. What Solomon is saying is that the soul can never be satisfied with anything less than God, and we cannot find our identity apart from God. If you don’t know God, it doesn’t matter if you are wise, or are a fool, you will end up in the same place.
If the soul could speak, it might say something like this: “I’m so hungry…so thirsty…why won’t someone give me what I really long for?” Maybe it is because people don’t know what they really long for—GOD. Too many Christians try to make their souls work with things rather than with God. When we get more satisfaction out of the things of this world than we do from God Himself, then we are in serious spiritual danger, and we will find that nothing will satisfy us.
d. Don’t argue with God- Let me read for you again Ecclesiastes 6:10,
“Whatever exists has already been named, and what humanity is has been known; no one can contend with someone who is stronger.”
Solomon is trying to help us understand something that we tend to forget: when it comes down to it, the issue is always God, not us. What do we make of God? How does He fit into our lives? Until we come up with the right answers to these questions, no matter what we have in our life, we will not be content!
Solomon is telling us that God is sovereign, and the sooner we recognize this and accept it, the better. Even though it can seem like God is not in control, God does have ultimate control. God’s overall plan will be achieved. God is bigger than we are, and wiser than we are, and more powerful than we are. As C. S. Lewis says in his book The Problem with Pain: “To argue with God is to argue with the very power that makes it possible to argue at all.”
How different life is when we come to grips with the fact that God is sovereign, and that we are His subjects. We need to understand that God is the Potter and we are the clay. God is consistent and we are inconsistent. Arguing against God’s divine purposes will only waste time and cause us more unrest. It is better to trust the Almighty since He already knows what He is doing.
e. Your destiny- If you think about your life, you are just a heartbeat
away from eternity. Now that may be a pessimistic way of looking at things, but life really is fragile. If God were to cause our hearts to stop beating, we would die. So why is it that we think we can go against the Almighty God? That would be as effective as trying to break up the Rock of Gibraltar with a peashooter. Life functions best when we accept the destiny God has for us.
What I am mentioning should be a simple matter of fact. Who God is, is truth. God is stronger and more reliable than anything we might put our trust in.
Solomon closes up the chapter with the message that we don’t know our future. Therefore, if we are wise, we will get to know the One who knows the future. Knowing God means we come in touch with the One who can really meet our soul’s deepest needs. Contentment does not lie in having a large bank balance, or status, or material possessions, or earthly success. Only God can give us the power to enjoy life.

Conclusion: If you were to analyze your life, what is it that you desire the most? This will tell you where you are trying to find contentment. It is best to be honest with yourself: Where does God fit in your life? Is God of first importance? Do you believe that God is the owner of your money and your possessions and that you are just a steward of them? You see, unless you give yourself over to God, and build a deep, meaningful relationship with God, you will forever struggle to be content with your life. You will forever struggle with the identity of who you really are. Your relationship with God really is the key. As Jesus told us in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Once you are right with God, seeking God first, God will give you contentment, and all the other things will fall into place. Thanks be to God! Amen.

“A Time for Everything”
(based on the devotions of Selwyn Hughes: “Every Day Light”)
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4:16

Introduction: Last week we started our sermon series on the book of Ecclesiastes. We saw how everything in life seems meaningless if it is not lived with God guiding us. It is God who can give us understanding to life, and God who can make the things in our lives meaningful. When we live to the glory of God, we can indeed have meaning in our work, our relationships, and life itself!
This week we turn our attention to time. The poet Longfellow once asked: “What is time?” He then went on to say that although time could be measured, it could not be clearly defined.
Another important question is: What gives meaning to time? A few months ago Tyler’s science class was given different projects. They were paired up with another classmate, they then had to choose a project to do together. Tyler and his friend Ryan did an experiment to see if temperature affects the magnetism of magnets. They discovered that warmer temperature takes away a magnet’s magnetism, while colder temperatures increase it. The school had a night where we went to see all the different experiments. Tyler and Ryan won for best experiment. One experiment I found intriguing was where a team would put a person in a room for five minutes. The person was to just sit there for five minutes. After the time was up, they would come out of the room and they were asked how long they had been in there (they didn’t know what the length of time was). The people gave answers all over the board: from 1 minute all the way up to about 11 minutes! People had trouble measuring time without something to connect it to.
So let’s look at what King Solomon has to tell us about time.

I. The Meaning of Time- (Ecclesiastes 3:1-22)
a. The events of life- Solomon says to us in the early part of this
Chapter, that life is full of events. In our lives there will be many different kinds of events that will happen, and all of the events have meaning for our life, as he says in 3:1, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” He uses opposites to show us this truth.
1. Birth and Death- Solomon starts out with birth and
death. This can seem obvious. We know that we are born, and we know that we die. And yet, if we really understood it, then it wouldn’t be so hard for us to have people die. There are many times I have had people ask me: Why did he/she have to die? Our head knows the answer, but our heart doesn’t want to come to grips with it. Sometimes it is a person’s time because they are old or sick. Sometimes it is because of an accident, or some evil thing that another person did. We all have a time on this earth. We don’t all get the same amount of time. So we should do the most with the time we have!
2. Planting and Plucking- The next comparison is planting
and plucking. There is a time in the seasons when it is best to plant, and there are times when you don’t plant. If you plant at the wrong time you could lose your crop. If you wait too long to pluck up the crop it will no longer be good. Timing is everything in farming.
3. Killing and Healing- This next one, killing and healing we
need to be careful with. Going back to the farm, there are times when an animal needs to be killed because it is suffering and will not survive. There is a time when healing needs to take place. Another situation might be if your life is in danger. Would you kill someone to save your own life? The answer would probably be “yes”. Life is to be savored and appreciated. We need to seek to heal those when we can. But unfortunately, killing has become a part of living.
4. Breaking down and Building up- There are times when
you have to break something down before you can build it up. If you remember the movie “An Officer and a Gentleman,” Richard Gere plays this wild, undisciplined man who decides to join the military. He doesn’t want to follow the rules or orders that are given to him. His commanding officer had to break him down before he could begin to build him up into a soldier. God sometimes has to break us of our sin before He can build us up. While building people up is vitally important, there are times when breaking down is equally important.
5. Weeping and laughing- If I were to ask you when is the
right time to weep, you might give answers such as: at a funeral, or in joy at a wedding. When you find out your divorce is final, or when someone you love has been seriously injured. There are many times in life when weeping is appropriate. If not, then God would not have created us with the inclination to cry. Likewise, laughter is important as well. God desires for us to laugh. Laughter is a healthy and helpful thing in this world. It can help us overcome difficult times. It shows others when we are having a good time. It can lighten our mood or give us a new frame of mind.
6. Mourning and dancing- The same is true of mourning
and dancing. We mourn when we are sad. We dance when we are excited, or responding to good music. You see mourning happen at a funeral, or a mortuary. You see dancing happen at a night club, or a wedding, or at a party. The creators of “So You Think You Can Dance” are so excited about dancing that they have now created the “Dance for Your Life” day. This is a day where they are trying to get everyone to dance at the same time, because they believe that dance is good for your health.
Now I could go on and on as Solomon compares throwing away and gathering, embracing and not embracing, seeking and losing, tearing and mending, keeping silent and speaking, loving and hating, war and peace. Solomon wants us to understand that there is indeed a time for everything. How do we know when is the right time for each of these? We ask God for wisdom to guide us!
b. God given tasks- For us to be perfect we would have to act
appropriately in any given event. If you are anything like me, this is not true. I don’t always say the right thing, or react in the right way. Doing the right thing at the wrong time is almost as bad as not doing right. “What time is it?” we often ask. In regards to life’s events, how often we wish we knew.
In verse 9 Solomon asks: “What do workers gain from their toil?” Or to put it another way: “What benefit do we get from time?” Time might seem to be a blessing, but sometimes it is a burden. Solomon reminds us that without God, time is boring and futile. That is really how we feel when we aren’t using our time wisely, or when we feel like we are just spinning our wheels in life. When we get to 3:11 Solomon shows how we can brush aside the feelings that life is futile, as he says: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” When you look at life through our human eyes it seems futile, but when you look at it through the lens of faith, and thus catch a glimpse through the eyes of God, IT IS BEAUTIFUL!
How is this change made? God takes what seems to be a calamity and turns them into opportunities. As the saying goes: “God turns lemons into lemonade.”
ILLUS> It is like the story of a little girl who was sitting on the floor playing. As she looked up she saw the back of her mother’s needlework. Then she said to her mother: “That doesn’t look good at all.” Her mother was startled by this statement, but then looked at the back of the needlework and saw that it did indeed look bad. But when she turned the needlework around so that her daughter could see the other side, her daughter was able to see the beautiful picture her mother was making!
The timing of things may not be as you would like them to be, but remember, just like the needlework, He is making everything beautiful—in its time.
c. Judgment and the future- While we know imperfection, the Lord
knows perfection. While we know temporary, the Lord knows eternal. If we are patient, and wait on time, God will bring things to its right conclusion. And when this happens, Solomon says, we will stand in awe.
This will include how the future plays out. There are times when we see evil and injustice seeming to win out in this world. We get frustrated that judgment doesn’t seem to be brought by God. But if we have an eternal perspective, we can understand that the future holds judgment. Actually, the future holds judgment for those who are righteous (made righteous because of the blood of Jesus), and the wicked. Solomon wondered about this as well, but reminds us in verse 17, “I said to myself, ‘God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.’”
Wrong will not continue forever. The TIME is coming when all corruption and injustice will be called to judgment before the throne of God’s truth. God seems to be more patient about this than we are. God seems to understand that there will be a time for judgment. We must be patient and seek to see this through the eyes of God. We must seek to have a different perspective on life here on earth, and life after death.
If we are not careful, we will tend to get cynical about life, death, and judgment. We will stop having hope for the future, because we are too keyed up about what is going on now. Understanding time is a careful balance between living now, and hoping for what is to come. Whenever we get confused about this, we should seek God’s word, which teaches us about when the time is right for each event!

II. Vanity under the sun- (Ecclesiastes 4:1-16)

a. Life in solitary- As we turn to chapter 4, we see Solomon looking
around and seeing people caught in oppression. As he sees this, it causes him much despair. He starts to feel that it would be better to have never been born than to be in oppression. And those who have been oppressed in their lives might agree with this assessment. Solomon sees people in rivalry with each other and in competition with each other.
And it hasn’t gotten any better today. Maybe the rivalry and competitiveness is even worse today. Life is really meaningless when we can’t live together, but rather we are at odds with each other. This does not follow the commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself.” But every once in a while this mindset is broken.
Illus. I’ve used this illustration before, but it is so fitting for this point. It is the illustration of Derrick Redmond. Derrick was a runner for Great Britain in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Derek qualified for the 1992 Olympics, and it was an amazing feat since he had undergone twenty-two surgeries on his Achilles’ tendon. He qualified to be in the semi finals of the men’s 440 meter race. He was in one of the center lanes, the gun fired and he shot out of the blocks leading the pack. The starter’s gun fired and Redmond set off. 140 metres down the track he was in a strong position when his hamstring gave way. He collapsed to the ground. Medics ran out to assist him but Redman waved them away. He was determined to finish the race, even if he couldn’t win it. And so he crawled and hobbled his way along the track. A man ran down from the grandstands. He pushed his way through the security guards and ran on to the track towards Derrick. It was Jim Redman, Derrick’s father. He placed an arm around Derek, saying ‘You don’t have to do this’ Jim told his son.’Yes I do’ Derek replied.“Well then we’re going to finish this together,” said his father.
Just before they reached the finish line, with the crowd screaming in support, Jim Redmond let his son go, so that he could cross the line on his own.
When we are in rivalry and competition with others, we will live so much of life in solitary. We must have a different approach to life. We must allow others to come along side us. As Solomon says it verse 6- “Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.” God has designed us to experience tranquility in life. How can we do this? Solomon tells us in the closing verses of chapter 4.
b. The value of friendship- Solomon finishes the chapter talking to us
about the importance and value of friendship. In verses 9-11 Solomon tells it to us straight: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?”
Now this doesn’t mean that you have to always have someone around you, but it does mean that you need supportive, loving friends and family around you to support you. Why? “Because a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” We can get beaten down in life pretty easily, but if we have others in our lives who come along side us and encourage us, strengthen us and build us up, then we can accomplish all that God calls us to do. Satan cannot attack us, because our support will counter his attacks!! Your strength plus your friend’s strength produces an even greater strength.
Solomon’s point is that if you want to make it through the difficult days you will face, if you want to make it through those times you are disillusioned, then the secret is friendship. There is no comfort like that of a friend!
And yet, it is still possible to have friends and be lonely. Listen again to 4:13, “Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning.” If you have a friend, but do not listen to the advice and warning of your friend, then you will be lonely, and you will be weak. Nobody has all the wisdom they need. And nobody knows how to completely listen to the wisdom that God gives us. We need the help of trusted friends. To these friends we have in our lives we must listen.
The loneliest person, the person whose life will ultimately be lived in meaninglessness is the one who fails to listen to the wisdom of others. He longs to be comforted, but refuses to accept comfort. He longs to know God, but has hardened his heart to God and others.

Conclusion: In all of this, Solomon wants us to understand that the wise are those who understand that while human friends are important, the best friend to have is God. God is the one who gave us life. God is the one who gave us time. God is the one who can make our efforts meaningful, and help us to use our time wisely.
So as you leave here today, I want you to think about the time you have. How can you live your life in a meaningful way? Ask God to show you this. How can you be strong in life? Ask God to give you friends to help guide you and help you to hear the voice of God. Don’t go through this life alone. Let others be a part of your life. Don’t live in competition and rivalry with others. Seek to share God’s love with all. Don’t let life get you down, but seek to understand with an eternal perspective all that happens in your life, knowing that God brings it together in His time. Amen.

"Everything is Meaningless"

(based on the devotions of Selwyn Hughes: “Every Day Light”)

Ecclesiastes, Chapters 1 & 2

Sunday, July 10, 2011 (Picnic at the Park)

Introduction: Over the next few weeks we will be looking at the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon, the son of King David. This book is Solomon’s commentary on his search for happiness in a world of pleasure and possessions. His goal is to guide us; to help us learn from his mishaps. In the end, you will see how Solomon makes life with God the focal point of faith.

Solomon starts off by talking about how life is meaningless. I have counseled many people who felt that their life was meaningless. These are people who have college degrees. Who are seemingly happily married with good kids. Who have good, productive jobs. Who are surrounded by many possessions. Yet, they tell me that they feel like their life is meaningless and that they don’t feel like they have purpose in this world.

How can this be? I believe that by looking at the book of Ecclesiastes we will be able to get a clearer picture of this! So let’s get into it.

I. Meaningless- (Ecclesiastes 1:1-9)

a. Futility of life- Going back to the people I have counseled, the fear

that is experienced is when they come face to face with what seems like futility. The truth is, their life is not meaningless, they have just lost the focus of where their meaning is to come. When they tried to find meaning in the things of time, it became a futile endeavor because time is so fleeting. It is here, and then it is gone. What you do seems to be gone as well! And when they begin to feel this way, they might want to opt out of life all together.

We need to come to grips with Solomon’s message of this book, which is found in verse 2: “‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’” Now it seems like such a grim message, but it really isn’t. The truth is, seeing the futility of life is the first step to an encounter with God. If we think that life is great, and that we don’t need God (like so many do for a time), then we will live life without God being a part of it. So people go through life seeking to find happiness and meaning in things.

b. Life without God- American theologian and philosopher Francis

Schaeffer wrote: “There are times when a negative message is needed before anything positive can begin.” This is what Solomon is doing here in Ecclesiastes. Solomon is seeking to first silence us with what is futile in this world before he helps to turn our attention to the One and only reality—God. Solomon is trying to help us understand that life without God will ultimately be futile and empty.

Three things are said about a life without God—it is boring, it is fleeting, and it is repetitive. That’s why Solomon asks in verse 3, “What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?” Some people really enjoy the work that they do. They love to go to work. But for the most part most people don’t. When people go to work, their thoughts are on when lunch is, and then when the end of the work day is, and what they are going to do that evening or the next weekend. To them, their work is just a way to get money so that they can do other things and pay the bills!

However, if we do not see work as a way that we can imitate the creativity of God, then it will indeed be boring. Every morning the sun will rise, and every night the sun will set, and then tomorrow it will happen again. ‘Life is repetitive.’

c. Nothing new under the sun- Now let me just say for a moment that

all this negativity actually teaches us a positive message. It is not really as pessi-mistic and gloomy as it might seem. There is a purpose that will come out of the thoughts that Solomon is expressing. Another way of thinking of it is that once we have allowed ourselves to look at what makes life seem empty and pointless, and then understand this perspective, we can be ready to move to God, who can show us how life is indeed vibrant and purposeful. Life is only empty and pointless when it is lived outside of the context of God.

It would be like trying to use a toaster to play basketball, or a loaf of bread as a bat in baseball. That would indeed be pointless, because they are not designed for that purpose. When life seems pointless, it is because we are not living according to the design of God, and we are trying to satisfy our lives with things that were not meant to satisfy them!

One of the reasons Solomon uses such vivid (and seemingly negative) illustrations is to break through our defensive attempts to avoid the reality of life: as he says to us in verse 9, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Life will never have meaning ‘under the sun’ until we make contact with the One who is above the sun—God. When we try and find meaning apart from God, we tend to do what everyone else is doing, and we fail to see what life really is about.

II. Intellect and Pleasure- (Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:16; Genesis 3:1-13)

a. Intellectualism- Solomon turns his attention to seeking wisdom

and knowledge, thinking that gaining understanding will bring happiness. However, the truth is, the more we learn, the more we realize what we don’t know. I remember that when I first became a Christian, God wasn’t that big in my mind, because there was so much that I didn’t know about God. The more I learned, the bigger and greater God became, and the more I realized what I didn’t understand.

Knowing more isn’t always a good thing. Remember back to the book of Genesis, where we have Adam and Eve. They are content in the Garden of Eden. They have all their needs met. Along comes Satan, and he lets Eve know that there is something that she doesn’t know: Evil. She knows good, but she doesn’t know evil. Satan tells her that it is simple; all she has to do is eat of the fruit from the ‘tree of knowledge of good and evil,’ and she will know evil. So she does. And Adam does. MISTAKE!! They find out (and we now know) that it wasn’t a good move. IT ISN’T ALWAYS GOOD TO KNOW EVERYTHING!

Solomon then tells us what he has learned in verses 17-18, “Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge the more grief.” As Lloyd George says, “Education without God makes clever devils.”

b. Pleasure- If there is one thing that our world knows, it is pleasure.

We have become a world of pleasure. Look around you, and what do you see? You see Casinos, and bars, and movie theatres, and concert halls, and boats, and planes, and jet skiis, and on and on it goes. I could go on for hours talking about all the many things that exist to bring us pleasure. Yet we are as unfulfilled a generation as has ever existed. Pleasure pleases, but it is powerless to quench the ache that exists in the soul.

In Ecclesiastes, chapter 2, Solomon goes on to list the many pleasures he sought in his life: laughter, great projects, buying slaves, buying herds and flocks, a harem, and on and on. Then he says in verses 10-11, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. ¹¹ Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”

Solomon is not saying that these things didn’t bring him some pleasure; they did. The point he is making is that this kind of pleasure is temporary; it does not last. The enjoyment from these experiences fades away, and one is left wanting again.

c. Folly- Solomon wants us to understand that he is not crazy, as

some thought because of all of his negative rants. He says in 2:9, “…In all of this my wisdom stayed with me.” He then turns his attention back to wisdom, in comparison to folly. As he wonders in verse 15- “Then I said to myself, ‘The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?’ I said to myself, ‘This too is meaningless.’” He is wondering if it would be better to live the life of a fool. Maybe knowing too much wasn’t the best thing.

This doesn’t last too long, as he realizes it is not good to be a fool. But he comes to understand that both the foolish and the wise will both die. When they die they will no longer be remembered. However, he does realize that if life is lived for God, then a person’s life can have meaning and impact. And so he turns his attention to living a life that is pleasing to God.

III. Pleasing God- (Ecclesiastes 2:17-26; Colossians 3:17)

a. Life in the real world- Solomon has come full circle understanding

that there is nothing in this world—no person, place, or thing—that can meet the deepest ache in our soul. At first, this is a solemn moment, feeling as if this existence is meaningless. It faces us to deal with the frustrations of life.

Solomon starts with work. Work can be a great frustration. How many people are in jobs that are not satisfying? How many people do not enjoy the work they do? Maybe it is because they do not see it as an opportunity to let their creativity come out. Maybe it is because they are not seeing their work as an opportunity to shine God through their lives. As the apostle Paul says in Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Work becomes more meaningful if we do it for the Lord, and do it in a way that brings glory to God.

Solomon is not putting work down, but he is saying that work is not where life is to be found. How many people work too much? How many people put their work before their families? How many times has work come between a husband and his wife? People do this thinking they are being good providers, or are leaving some kind of a legacy. As with everything else, in regards to bringing fulfillment, Solomon says that work is meaningless. This is because the true meaning of life is not found in the things that are temporary, but in that which is eternal!

b. Seeking after God- The great Christian writer Oswald Chambers

once said: “No Christian makes much progress in the Christian life until he realizes that life is more chaotic and tragic than orderly.” In other words, life can be tough. The sooner we face this fact, the sooner we can deal with reality, the less expectations we will have of life, and hopefully the more we will seek after God.

In 2:24 we see some light shine through the words of Solomon, as he says: “A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God.” Solomon is letting us know that the ultimate meaning of life cannot be found in activities, or in pleasures, or in work. That doesn’t make them bad, it just puts them in perspective. Our true value of life should not be sought in what we do, but in who we know!

Solomon comes to understand that it is God who brings fulfillment to our lives. He says in verse 25, “For without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment.” God can make the things we do worthwhile. God can help us to find enjoyment in our activities, our work, even our eating and drinking.

Conclusion: When God is not first in our lives, then everything else around us loses its meaning. In truth, we tend to make many of these pursuits idols in our lives. When we seek anything other than God to try and fulfill us, in essence that becomes our god.

On the flip side, as Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 2:26, “To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand over to the one who pleases God…”

If you are feeling like life is meaningless, if you are feeling a lack of purpose in your life, maybe it is because you are trying to find fulfillment in the wrong things. Your focus is too much on this world and the things of this world, and not enough on God. I encourage you to evaluate your life, and see how it is out of balance. Life is meaningless when it is lived the wrong way. Life is very meaningful when it is lived for God. Amen.