Ecclesiastes: What’s The Point? Pt. 5

Nothing is Certain in this Life

Chapter 6

1 There is another serious tragedy I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity. 2 God gives some people great wealth and honor and everything they could ever want, but then he doesn’t give them the chance to enjoy these things. They die, and someone else, even a stranger, ends up enjoying their wealth! This is meaningless—a sickening tragedy.

  • Meaningless – paradoxical: seemingly absurd or contradictory
  • When you try to grab it, it slips through your fingers
  • Tragedy ” A protagonist, usually a person of importance and outstanding personal qualities, falls to disaster through the combination of a personal failing and circumstances with which he or she cannot control.”
  • Weighs heavy, the frequency

3 A man might have a hundred children and live to be very old. But if he finds no satisfaction in life and doesn’t even get a decent burial, it would have been better for him to be born dead. 4 His birth would have been meaningless, and he would have ended in darkness. He wouldn’t even have had a name, 5 and he would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. Yet he would have had more peace than in growing up to be an unhappy man.

Meaningless – temporary / vapor

  • The Teacher is saying: ‘nothing is what it seems’
  • No man who lived experienced more, accumulated more
  • ESV v3: “but his soul is still not satisfied with life’s good things” – lack of purpose – we all recognize this
  • Decent burial : “still depart unnoticed, unlamented and unfulfilled.”
  • Better to die in the womb than to spend your whole life dead

6 He might live a thousand years twice over but still not find contentment. And since he must die like everyone else—well, what’s the use? 7 All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they never seem to have enough.

  • We could live 2000 years and still end in the same place stillborn
  • This observation is lacking spiritual context
  • Some people work their whole lives, never able to stop to enjoy it.
  • We think we know what Justice is, but it doesn’t seem to be true all the time.
  • Ecc. 1:7 “All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full”
  • After winning the world series, do those guys retire? NO! They want more…

8 So are wise people really better off than fools? Do poor people gain anything by being wise and knowing how to act in front of others? 9 Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

  • V 8, leaving God out, leads to a conflict (wisdom good or not?)
  • V 9 gets to envy, coveting
  • It is meaningless unless we can enjoy it!
  • The conclusion here is to adjust your expectations so your world view doesn’t shatter when horrible things happen for doing the right thing.

10 Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny. 11 The more words you speak, the less they mean. So what good are they? 12 In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone?

  • V 10 the human condition is what it has always been
  • We are made in the image of God, but sin has made it broken and dysfunctional.
  • Martin Luther said “As things have been, so they still are; and as things are, so they will be.”
  • V 11 is repeated from 5:2: the more we talk, the emptier our words become
  • Job argued with God, he discovered how that goes

Chapter 7

1 A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born. 2 Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies—so the living should take this to heart.

  • V 1 in Hebrew it is word play, translation that is closer: “Fair fame is better than fine perfume.”
  • Our reputation ties to our burial ch 6:3
  • All four things mentioned are good things, perfume is GREAT in the ‘smelly world of Solomon’
  • Thomas Boston on Followers of Christ: “In the day of our birth we are born to die, but in the day of our death we die to live.”

This is true for those who have surrendered to Christ as our savior. We find greater purity, deeper rest, better company than the world we entered on the day we were born, our death is our entrance into glory. Our desire for self-esteem shoves bad thoughts out, we don’t like to dwell on painful things. Our natural instinct is to hide in the vapor / meaninglessness. Our reputation is important: we represent Jesus Christ as His followers. Living for the reputation of Christ is what gives our lives meaning / purpose

3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. 4 A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

  • The ESV renders V 3: “By sadness of face the heart is made glad”
  • Young people, those in college are not interested in significant things
  • The tendency is to stick to things that numb those thoughts. Superficial lifestyle
  • Without eternal perspective we live ignoring the reality that nothing is certain in this life

5 Better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool. 6 A fool’s laughter is quickly gone, like thorns crackling in a fire. This also is meaningless.

  • We learn best from wise people
  • True discipleship includes aspects of personal rebuke ‘Kind Disapproval’
  • Hebrew words for thorn and pot sound very similar “crackling thorns under a pot”
  • Thorns don’t burn very long, no substance
  • In Luke 6:25 Jesus says: If you don’t take things serious, it’ll come to a bad end.
  • If we are wise we will deal with our own mortality

7 Extortion turns wise people into fools, and bribes corrupt the heart. 8 Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride. 9 Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool. 10 Don’t long for “the good old days.” This is not wise.

  • The corruption of the powerful, it happened then, it happens now: timeless truth of the human condition
  • Pride has redeeming traits, but quickly turns to sin.
  • One’s prayer life is a good example; start small. But the end is better, when God molds/grows us
  • Looking back on old times, can be dangerous, you lose touch with the present
  • Live in the moment, enjoy where you’re at, make the most of today

11 Wisdom is even better when you have money. Both are a benefit as you go through life. 12 Wisdom and money can get you almost anything, but only wisdom can save your life.

  • How does wisdom save your life? It is only through God’s wisdom that we surrender to Christ
  • True wisdom is a growing focus on the eternal, moving away from focus on meaninglessness
  • True wisdom itself is eternal; it cannot be lost or lose it’s value
  • Wisdom is made greater with money – deploying resources to help others gain wisdom.

13 Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what He has made crooked?

  • All of the things that God has made is crooked, (from our point of view) who are we to straighten them?
  • Avoid being too definitive in your statements about this world, a little humility goes a long way
  • When we view catastrophes, genocide, childhood death we should defer to ‘God Knows Best’
  • God has HIS ways and timing Ecc. 3:11 “Everything is beautiful in its time”
  • This includes the things we may think are twisted and ugly.

14 Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.

  • Enjoy what God has allowed us to enjoy, be content with your lot in this life
  • Remain somber, be reverent regarding the challenges He has given you.
  • Ageless Truth: Nothing is certain in this life! We may think we know…

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

Who in your life gives you ‘wise criticism’? Have you given someone the license to do this?

Why shouldn’t you ‘long for the good old days’?

Do you think God is really sovereign over the bad things that come our way? Why?

/by

Ecclesiastes: What’s The Point? Pt. 4

‘The Wisdom of Choosing Relationships Over Things’

We need Christ in our lives in order to value people over things…It is an ongoing fight, connected to how I view and approach God. The Writer of Ecclesiastes came to know the meaninglessness of things, and he had it all! He also understood who God was and His relational nature.

Chapter 4

Again, I observed all the oppression that takes place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, with no one to comfort them. The oppressors have great power, and their victims are helpless. 2 So I concluded that the dead are better off than the living. 3 But most fortunate of all are those who are not yet born. For they have not seen all the evil that is done under the sun.

  • The reality of evil can be discouraging
  • From an earthly standpoint it can seem like there is nothing worse than this life
  • People oppress others so they can hold on to wealth & power (things)

4 Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind. 5 “Fools fold their idle hands, leading them to ruin.” 6 And yet, “Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind.”

  • The drive to compete based on comparison is a dead end street
  • Idleness is no good but so is workaholism…
  • Wisdom is found in balance: a time to work and a time to recreate

7 I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun. 8 This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.

  • Working to amass wealth while living a life devoid of relationships is worthless
  • The lie people tell themselves: “when I’m rich then I will have relationships”

9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

  • The goodness we can enjoy in this life is all about relationships
  • We need each other
  • We are made in the image of God who is relational in His very essence (Triune)
  • The cord of three strands is you, me & Jesus

13 It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice. 14 Such a youth could rise from poverty and succeed. He might even become king, though he has been in prison. 15 But then everyone rushes to the side of yet another youth who replaces him. 16 Endless crowds stand around him, but then another generation grows up and rejects him, too. So it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.

  • You can be shrewd and play politics to get ahead, but the favor is fleeting
  • Such popularity is a short lived thing until the ‘Next Fad’ comes along
  • The eternal significance of of politic is ZERO (give unto Caesar…)

Chapter 5

5 As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. 2 Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few.

  • God is not interested in what we promise, He wants authentic relationship
  • Carefully consider what you offer God, he knows where your heart really is

3 Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool. 4 When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. 5 It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it.

  • Hyperactivity is not what God is looking for, and volume of words have no value
  • Only make promises to God that are sincere and be sure you keep them
  • When in doubt listen (listening prayer)

6 Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved. 7 Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead.

  • Measure your words in the community of God’s people (don’t over promise)
  • Make good use of the time and energy you have out of reverence for God
  • What does it mean to fear God?

8 Don’t be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout the land. For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy. 9 Even the king milks the land for his own profit!

  • Don’t be naive regarding those in power, they don’t have our well being in mind
  • When you get into that machine it owns you, it’s about things, not relationships
  • Classic politician lie: “I care about the little people’

10 Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! 11 The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers! 12 People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep.

  • The lure of wealth is never satisfied, and wealth never satisfies anyone
  • The more you have the more people want things from you, not relationship
  • Contentment with what you have brings peace, riches bring worry

13 There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. 14 Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. 15 We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.

  • Hording wealth and seeking to multiply it rots your soul (things over people)
  • It can lead to losing everything!

Then he said “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” Luke 12:15-21

16 And this, too, is a very serious problem. People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their hard work is for nothing—like working for the wind. 17 Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry.

  • We would like to think we make a difference getting things
  • You will never have enough, someone will always have more
  • The only difference we make is in people’s lives; by being a blessing from God

18 Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. 19 And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. 20 God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.

  • Contentment is the key (Paul Philippians 4)
  • True contentment is found in a real relationship with God

Summary: We are to fight against Oppression that crushes peoples souls. We are to pursue contentment & balance between work and recreation. Relationships are what really matter & what makes life meaningful (partnership). The approval of people & success is short lived, everyone will be replaced / forgotten. God is concerned with the condition of our hearts not the words of our mouths. God is not pleased with our heartless religious activities, He wants obedience. We should expect earthly powers to be unjust. Wealth doesn’t bring peace and the hording of it brings disaster. Life that is lived for only earthly things will frustrate & depress. We are to be content with what we have and attribute it to God.

Application Questions:

How can you pursue contentment by balancing work and recreation?

How can you intentionally honor and appreciate others to build relationships?

How can you build a lifestyle of generosity with your resources and time?

How can you focus on pleasing God with obedience rather than pleasing people?

/by

Ecclesiastes: What’s The Point? Pt. 3

Chapter 3: God’s Timing, God’s Purpose & God’s Justice

Timing is everything… God’s justice and God’s purposes are often revealed in the timing of things Make no mistake, God is in control of when, how and why everything happens In the search for meaning we often ask: why do things happen when they do? We try to see what God’s doing, what are His purposes in events, we desire to see God enact justice, at least our ideas of what justice is. But the reality is we don’t get the whole picture. Chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes addresses these issues, and if we read it in light of Christ we get some insight, some revelation, but it’s not complete. Paul writes in 1 Cor 13:12: ‘Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror…’ But that partial vision is enough to build our faith upon!

1 For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.

  • This is a statement of God’s ordering of all things
  • ‘Under Heaven’ = Under the authority of heaven

2 A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. 3 A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. 4 A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. 5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.

  • None of these things can happen at the same time
  • You do one or the other, not both

A time to embrace and a time to turn away. 6 A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. 7 A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. 8 A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.

  • What makes it the right time for something?
  • For us who live for the fulfillment of God’s will, we take our cues from Him!

9 What do people really get for all their hard work? 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

  • Is it worth it? If our work has no eternal aspect to it, what’s the point?
  • When we align ourselves with God’s purposes, we can find meaning in work.
  • He has given us the tools to see some of what matters.

12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

  • If our reality flows from the truth of God, we will see everything as His gift to us
  • The humility of the ‘Creature’ receiving gifts from the ‘Creator’

14 And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him. 15 What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again.

  • God’s will is the determiner of all things, not our ‘Free Will’
  • We bring nothing to the table (whether we think we do or not)
  • A belief in something does not make it true
  • What is contained in the idea of ‘The Fear of the Lord’?
  • Why does God make the same things happen over and over again?

16 I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt! 17 I said to myself, “In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.”

  • Human justice is always corrupt! Believing otherwise is to deny our ‘Sin Nature’
  • God will have the final say of what justice is or not
  • How would we be so arrogant as to think we can define justice?

18 I also thought about the human condition—how God proves to people that they are like animals. 19 For people and animals share the same fate—both breathe and both must die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless! 20 Both go to the same place—they came from dust and they return to dust.

  • The reality of our mortality
  • In our natural state; without being regenerated by God’s Spirit we are animals
  • Life apart from a redeemed relationship with our creator is MEANINGLESS!

21 For who can prove that the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is our lot in life. And no one can bring us back to see what happens after we die.

  • We can’t prove eternity, we can only believe it by faith
  • “Heaven, a place that has to be believed to be seen” U2, Walk On
  • No one can prove where your eternal spirit goes
  • We are limited by our senses

Application Questions:

What specific criteria do you use to figure out when the time to do something is right?

If He’s planted eternity in our hearts, why can’t we see the scope of God’s workings?

Is your ‘free will’ able to add to or take away from what God does? Why?

How do you decide what is just or not?

What do you believe about eternity and why?

/by

Ecclesiastes: What’s The Point? Pt. 2

The Height of Futility

Ecclesiastes Chapter 2

1 I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. 2 So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” 3 After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world.

  • Hedonism; pleasure is the way to find meaning
  • Searching for wisdom in a state of intoxication is holding on to foolishness!
  • Some have a life so hard, intoxication is the only happiness they can find

4 I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves.

  • Examples of worldly endeavors that we measure purpose by
  • Notice he doesn’t mention doing any of this for other’s enjoyment…

7 I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. 8 I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire!

  • The accumulation of ‘Stuff’
  • The striving for Status
  • Comparison
  • ‘Everything’ one could desire…

9 So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me. 10 Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. 11 But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.

  • Every pleasure was explored
  • No boundaries
  • ‘Hard Work Is it’s own reward’ Is that true?
  • What does it all amount to?

12 So I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and madness (for who can do this better than I, the king?). 13 I thought, “Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. 14 For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark.”

  • Basic assumption: Wise people will have a better life because of their wisdom
  • Viewing the world from a humanistic / Non Spiritual point of view

Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate. 15 Both will die. So I said to myself, “Since I will end up the same as the fool, what’s the value of all my wisdom? This is all so meaningless!” 16 For the wise and the foolish both die. The wise will not be remembered any longer than the fool. In the days to come, both will be forgotten.

  • The reality of our world: Everyone dies!
  • All the wisdom ‘under the sun’ cannot change that fate
  • All the wisdom of this world cannot cure the issue of our own mortality

17 So I came to hate life because everything done here under the sun is so troubling. Everything is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

  • The phrase ‘under the sun’: speaks of life without the influence of Heaven
  • What is more futile than chasing the wind?

The realization of the futility of life can be valuable if we let it open our eyes to what really matters!

18 I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned. 19 And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How meaningless!

  • This is a realization of how little control we have…
  • This world goes on without us after we go… (perspective as you age on this)

20 So I gave up in despair, questioning the value of all my hard work in this world. 21 Some people work wisely with knowledge and skill, then must leave the fruit of their efforts to someone who hasn’t worked for it. This, too, is meaningless, a great tragedy.

  • Fortunes, Reputations, Legacies, & Institutions…all squandered by heirs
  • People have searched for ways to guide the future after they die for centuries
  • What can we leave behind that is of eternal value?

22 So what do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety? 23 Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless. 24 So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.

  • Is all your hard work and worry worth it?
  • Obsession with work is a dead end street
  • What makes any of these pleasures ‘Legit’ is recognizing God’s part in them

25 For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? 26 God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. But if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him. This, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

  • Is there fulfillment or meaning gained from life without a relationship w/ God?
  • The God given things are not found outside of a right relationship with Him
  • The real control rest in the hands of God, and we can’t judge His ways

Hedonism / Intoxication / Self Fulfillment / Building / Creating / Accumulation / Status & Accomplishment: ALL ARE MEANINGLESS!!!

YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU!!!

NOTHING HAS MEANING…APART FROM GOD / JESUS CHRIST!!!

Application Questions / Exercises:

In the pursuit of your dreams, specifically where does God fit in?

How do you evaluate whether something has eternal significance or not?

List three things you control completely. Ask someone you are close to if you’re right.

Ask one person you admire what gives their life meaning & purpose.

/by

Ecclesiastes: What’s The Point? Pt. 1

Introduction To Ecclesiastes

Purpose: To answer the oldest question ever: What is the meaning of life?

Themes: Need for Meaning / Justice / Work / Leisure / Success / Wealth / Good & Evil

Authorship: The Case for Solomon as ‘The Qoheleth’: A Singular Persona. Solomon’s Leading of the ‘Assembly’ at the dedication of the Temple makes him and only him qualified to have the title of ‘The Qoheleth’. He was singularly gifted with Wisdom beyond any man…nothing approaching God’s wisdom!

Original Audience: Observant Jews (Weight based on credibility of Author)

Place in Scripture: Never questioned for 2300 years (Bollhagen dates it 735BC) Reformers like Luther wanted to have it removed from the Cannon. Date and Authorship questioned by ‘Modern Scholars’.

How WE read it in light of Christ: Together within the whole picture of Scripture we can see how it points out the clear futility of existence without a relationship with God.

Pt. 1 The Preacher’s Thesis

Chapter 1

1 These are the words of the Teacher, King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem. 2 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!” 3 What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes.

  • The Author: No dispute among the Jews forever, No dispute for 2300 yrs…
  • Title of the Author… Hebrew Word: ‘Qoheleth’ Greek Word: Ekklisiastís
  • THE THESIS IS: It all seems to be meaningless…
  • People come and go without purpose or meaning

5 The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. 6 The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. 7 Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea.

  • Nature; observed without a Creator appears to be futile (Religion of ‘Evolution’)
  • Cyclical Nature of Nature…Who’s control is it under?
  • Is it random, do we have a role?

8 Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. 9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.

  • The nature and character of humankind is discontent & futility
  • We repeat the mistakes of history, our nature is: ‘Consistently Corruptible’
  • We have become addicted to ‘New’, it is the Idol we worship…but that’s not new
  • Why does God say: ‘Here on Earth…It’s All Been Done’

10 Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. 11 We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.

  • How much value do we place on things being ‘New’?
  • Materially / Emotionally / Philosophically / Spiritually
  • Is something’s value based on just ‘Newness’ or on it being more valuable?
  • How well do you know ‘Accurate History’?
  • Wikipedia IS NOT ‘Accurate History’
  • We are definitive regarding what is good, productive, wise…how do we know?

12 I, the Teacher, was king of Israel, and I lived in Jerusalem. 13 I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under heaven. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race. 14 I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind. 15 What is wrong cannot be made right. What is missing cannot be recovered.

  • This Title can only work for King Solomon, as The Dedicator of God’s Temple
  • He was the ‘Leader of The Assembly of God’ @ the apex of the People of Israel
  • The search for understand & wisdom, if confined to what is ‘Under Heaven’
  • This is ‘Looking in The Wrong Place’. Only looking under the sun, here on earth
  • From this perspective it is all devoid of any meaning! It is screwed up and can’t be fixed

This is US without Christ! The beginning our surrender to Christ is the recognition of the futility of this life, separate from The One who Created US. And we can’t make that separation end. But God can end it, In Christ Jesus He does end it. We get the privileged of surrendering to Our Creator’s will for us: United in Christ!

16 I said to myself, “Look, I am wiser than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. I have greater wisdom and knowledge than any of them.” 17 So I set out to learn everything from wisdom to madness and folly. But I learned firsthand that pursuing all this is like chasing the wind. 18 The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.

  • Remember Melchizedek?
  • He doesn’t compare himself to the Kings to follow because that will be known
  • It is a summary statement of what he is going to share in greater detail
  • Firsthand / Inside Scoop
  • The Result (Spoiler Alert) Life is meaningless apart from Our Creator God

Realizing that we need our Creator God to give life meaning is a great starting place. From there it’s a short journey to repentance & surrender: Our Privilege!

Application Questions:

How does our world make you ‘Feel Think and Act’ as though life is meaningless?

Where do you search for wisdom; in what’s New or The Lessons of History? Why?

1 to 10, rate yourself as being knowledgable & wise. What is your rating based on?

Can knowing ‘too much’, make you jaded & cynical? How do you fight that attitude?

/by

James: Living Faith pt. 8

Living Faith Builds Culture

Building a Biblical Culture as Jesus’ Church, is all about the foundation of beliefs and values found in The Scriptures. We want to take those values & beliefs and use them to form the actions and attitudes that mark our lives, our culture.

The whole book of James is one big lesson on culture formation based on God’s way

The formation of Biblical Culture does not happen by accident; it takes constant work and a desire to be aligned with what the Scriptures says rather than what ‘Feels’ good.

The whole Body can participate in the formation of the culture and then everyone benefits…everyone who is committed and present and part of the culture (family)

James 5:7-20

7 Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen.

  • Building a culture that is based on the anticipation of Christ’s Return (Patiently)
  • They know the crop is coming, it’s a matter of when…
  • Living in light of eternity (what matters most: ‘A Cultural Value’)

8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!

  • Does our culture reflect complacency about Christ’s return?
  • Do our relational actions as a community reflect Christ’s Lordship?
  • Do we live like Jesus could come back at any second?

10 For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.

  • We pattern our lives after those who are most profoundly influenced by God
  • Suffering so that the truth about God may be revealed: that is building culture
  • The suffering always has purpose when it is done from a God honoring place
  • God reveals Himself through His people when they suffer

12 But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.

  • Why is it such a big deal to James NOT to make oaths? (Elevates ‘Free Will’)
  • Simplicity & transparency of communication is what biblical culture is built on
  • This also means we are to give God His due, He controls, Not us!

13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.

  • We are to live life with God involved in the good and the bad
  • We are to leverage the power of ‘The Church’, through it’s leadership, to heal
  • The faith of the person who calls for the Elders is the key

15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

  • Our properly functioning as ‘Christ’s Body’; through order & faith brings healing
  • A culture of commitment to the Body and seeking what we need AS a body…

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

  • Transparency about sin with other members of the Body is a cultural value
  • What kind of a culture of prayer are we building?
  • Is it marked by ‘Earnestness’?
  • Do we pray based on the the ‘Righteousness of Christ’?

17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.

  • We can have the same culture of prayer Elijah had, it is possible!
  • How do we emulate Elijah and his closeness to God

19 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.

  • Do we have a culture that gives second chances and welcomes prodigals?
  • We all need to know that if we screw up we can find forgiveness and family
  • We are to be people of reconciliation and humility
  • Our motivation is to care for each other’s souls
  • But that only happens when you go all in (True Biblical Culture)

Application Questions:

What is your personal culture regarding Christ’s second coming?

How does our ‘Body’ culture support suffering members? How can we do better?

How do you value & practice transparency in your relationships here @ Midtown?

How can you participate in building a more earnest culture of prayer?

Who might you reach out to that has wandered away from the truth?

/by

JAMES : Living Faith Pt. 7

Skilled Living Requires Biblical Theology

The Book of James provides solid advise, principals that each of us can apply. There is a critical truth informing all of this good advise: God’s Total Sovereignty. As much as he is calling us to act out our faith, he is also making it clear God is in charge, of everything, no matter how we ‘feel’ about that.

Our modern information & technology based culture creates the illusion that we have some amount of control of our world. But the situation is the same as when James wrote this letter: God alone is in control. Through networks, education and possessions we can build our own deception that makes us think we can control our circumstances… until a loved one suddenly dies or a child gets sick or a terrible accident happens, then the reality of our lack of control is painfully pointed out.

What James is advising us to do is to live our lives in deference to HIS actual control, realizing we will have to answer for whether or not we have honored HIS lordship. In recognizing the truth of God’s total control we think rightly about God based on the Scriptures, this is Biblical Theology. With that scripture based view of God’s sovereignty we can then live skillfully here in God’s world.

In today’s passage James gives us a couple of examples of how we act like we are in control and how God truly is in control; over today & eternity.

Ch 4:11-17

11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?

  • How ‘family’ should talk about and to each other
  • Judgement is not for us, obedience is our role
  • Any judgement we have is meaningless since we have no power to enact it

13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.

  • This is an illustration of the previous point about God’s complete sovereignty
  • Jame’s point: We think we have some control of our lives but we have ZERO
  • He is pointing out how little significance we have
  • Biblical Theology: Our ‘free will’ is totally subject to God’s ‘Sovereign Will’
  • Man-Centric Theology: My brains, talent, and experience impact my life
  • Either everything is God given & determined or it isn’t: what does the Bible say?

15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. 17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

  • The Scripture teaches God’s will is what determines everything
  • Biblical Theology: we do what HE wills, not what we will
  • Believing that you are in charge is not just wrong it is evil…
  • If you know something is wrong and evil and you do it is is SIN
  • It is right in front of us: God is totally in control, to erode His sovereignty is SIN!

Ch. 5:1-6

1 Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. 2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire.

  • The definition of rich people needs some context; Ruling Elite / Those in Power
  • Being a part of the accumulation of wealth & power bring eternal consequences
  • The temporal nature of what we can amass rots our souls

This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. 4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

  • What you spend you life doing testifies for or against you when God judges
  • The connection of power to corruption and oppression
  • God is aware of people who accumulate wealth by taking advantage of others

5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.

  • A life spent satisfying self is the opposite of loving God
  • Valuing things over people is the opposite of how Jesus’ church lives
  • How we treat people says something about who we think God is

Application Questions:

What are some situations where you judge others motives?

If you realize your ‘right’ to judge others comes your pride, how is that overcome?

How much control of your life do you believe you have and why do you have it?

In what ways are you aware of materialism coming between you and God?

What are you spending your years on earth satisfying; your desires or God’s?

/by

James: Living Faith Pt. 6

GRACE FOR THE HUMBLE

Our Relationships with each other flow from our relationship with God. Humility is the essence of our relationship with God, so it can be with each other. Humility is the essence of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Humility is not friendship with this present world, this world tells us to be proud…

If we want to walk with God experiencing His grace fully we have to become humble. God has given us this scripture to point the way to the life He has for us…Humility is opposite all of our natural impulses, we need God to make us humble. It is only because God humbles us that we surrender our lives to Him for eternity, but it is the same humility we are to cultivate in our relationship and transformation with Christ.

Ch. 3:17-18 (End of last week’s message)

17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

  • God’ wisdom should direct our living (Christ’s Living Body)

Ch. 4:1-10

1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.

  • Conflict we have with others comes from within us (our sin of selfishness)
  • Our desire for things, approval & status lead us into conflict
  • We are taught by this world to value stuff & self more relationships

Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

  • The more we rely on ourselves the less we ask God for (self reliance)
  • Even as followers of Jesus Christ we don’t depend on God
  • Then we turn to God as a last resort…and not to please Him but to use Him

4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.

  • If we put our time, talent & treasure into ‘Worldly Priorities’ we are adulterers
  • James makes it cut and dry…we like to hedge and fool ourselves
  • We need to honestly evaluate what we are valuing with our lifestyles

5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. 6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (Proverbs 3:34)

  • When God puts His Spirit in us He expects us to be true to Him
  • The message of Scripture: God wanting His people to be ‘Set Apart’ for Him
  • The only way we can be faithful is to embrace humility

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

  • Knowing that in and of ourselves we will be proud & betray God, we need help
  • God’s telling us how to get where we want to go; will we adopt these practices?
  • God’s wisdom is: asking Him for humility & to increase the value of humility
  • God wants us to be undivided; and He wants us to be honest about falling short

9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.

  • I believe God wants us to honestly mourn our sin… Emote… Process Reality
  • We are not to always be ‘all fake happy’; there is a place of ‘Holy Sorrow’

10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

  • There is no more important thing we can do in every aspect of our lives
  • True humility before God is essential part of salvation
  • True humility before God is the only way to live if He is who we say He is
  • Who would you most desire to lift you up in honor?

Application Questions:

What are ways you can connect god’s wisdom to your relational world?

In a normal day, what do you specifically ask God for?

What are your strongest lures to ‘befriend’ the world?

Describe how passionate you believe Jesus is that You be His faithful follower.

Are verses 7-10 a prescription or a suggestion to you?

/by

James ‘Living Faith’ Pt. 5

James Chapter 3: Words & Wisdom

The practical application of God’s Word should be the Lifelong Goal of all ‘Biblical Christians’. Two key areas to concentrate on are: our words and what we consider ‘Wisdom’. These two issues will impact our relational life more than just about anything else. The two are connected in our lives just as God’s Word & His Wisdom are.

1 Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

  • Teachers are ‘Thought Leaders’ and have influence in leading Jesus’ Church
  • Leadership in Jesus’ Church is not like leadership in the rest of the world
  • If teaching is not aligned with Scripture / Gospel it is a great offense to God
  • We are all fallen, here is where God’s grace comes in…(judged with Grace)
  • The control of our speech & language leads other aspects of self-control

3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.

  • The power of our ‘Tongue’ is the disproportionate power our words have to influence people
  • Little things mean a lot

But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

  • Small things can do great damage, our words have great capacity to harm
  • Our words are the primary outlet of sin in each of us
  • In our ‘Immaturity’ we abuse the power of our words without realizing it
  • God wants us to be aware of the importance of our words (Devil wants the exact opposite)

7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.

  • GOD’S WORD says no one can completely control their words… It is a war against pride!
  • We should use our words like we are handling a live explosive (careful & slow)
  • The dual nature of our words is a heartbreaking reality
  • We can intentionally ask God to grow our praising and decrease our cursing

10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.

  • As true followers of Christ we are called to imitate Him, so HE is the standard
  • If we have given over our lives to Christ should not our speaking reflect HIM?
  • IF Christ is the source of who we are there should be constant spiritual growth
  • Our spring should keep being less and less ‘Salty’…

God’s Character and how He desires us to be is displayed through His Messiah. Jesus Christ is our example in all things! Two examples from the Scriptures:

The Coming Messiah: Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

Jesus Before Pilate: Mark 15:1-5 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. “You have said so,” Jesus replied. The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.” But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

Jesus is the standard for how we use language & speech: yielded to and led by The Holy Spirit

13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying.

  • Wisdom & Words, Words & Wisdom… The are intertwined
  • Biblical definition of Wisdom: Living God’s Way
  • Jesus Incarnated God’s Ways : Ultimate Humility / Ultimate Good Works
  • Don’t confuse God’s Way with Your Way (lay down yourself)

15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

  • God’s wisdom is consistently opposite what is valued by our popular culture
  • If you don’t think a great deal of our popular culture is demonic; WAKE UP!
  • The predominate culture is built on self-centered, non-communal individualism
  • Disorder & Evil flow from the ambition and hate that are given place when everything is about ME!

17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

  • Wisdom that reflects Christ is uncorrupted by sin (poop in brownie, no prob)
  • It does not seek conflict: loving peace can require conflict, but resolving is goal
  • Being gentle and yielding to others is not valued
  • All of these are crucial to relationships being built and strengthened (recap)
  • The actions of peace making have tangible results (fruit, a harvest of rightness)

Application Questions:

How do you view ‘Teaching & Leading’ in the church? Is your perspective Biblical?

How do you intentionally make your spring (Words) less ‘Salty’

What practices do you employ to intentionally fight jealousy & selfishness?

Where does your life (not your words) reflect Verse 17? Were does it not?

/by

James: Living Faith Pt. 4

Faith IS Action

James wrote this from a place of love to help people come to ‘True Faith’. One of the enemies of True Faith is being satisfied with ‘Good Intentions’. In 12-15 years of leading the Jerusalem church: he had seen action & intention, James had seen the real deal and he had seen the fakers.

James 2:14-26

14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?

  • Again James is calling to account those who declare themselves ‘Christian’
  • All Show & No Go / All Talk & No Act
  • I pray none of us will be that person…
  • What is the kind of faith that can save anyone?
  • Must ‘Saving Faith’ move you to act?

15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

  • ‘You See’, we are responsible for what God brings us into contact with
  • An example of ‘Good Intentions’ without ‘Good Actions’
  • Have you ever been the object of this kind of ‘Care’… Not care at all

17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

  • James is defining / God is defining FAITH
  • What gives our faith life is the action it produces

18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

  • Biblical Faith, can’t help but be ‘Shown’ by the life one leads
  • True Faith is not a matter of intention (the road to perdition is paved with…)

19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

  • There is a difference between claiming faith and ‘Living Faith’
  • A belief in the reality of a All Powerful Creator is not Faith that saves
  • It is the faith in God that is expressed in the laying down of your life in trust

21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. (perfect)

  • Previous actions were mixed…this time Abraham’s actions were 100% faith
  • His faith enabled him to Act. His Actions ‘exercised’ his faith

23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

  • God is not looking for us to have ‘theoretical’ faith, but to act in reality
  • What he knew about God he acted on, and by acting God grew his faith

25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works

  • Two examples both listed in Hebrews 11 (both ends of the ‘food chain of faith’)
  • Was everything in Rahab’s life as it should be?
  • When given the opportunity to act on faith in God,she did
  • Good works are as essential to faith as breath is to a body…
  • Lack of breath PROVES a body is dead…our actions PROVE our faith is Alive!

Application Questions:

How do you honestly evaluate your ‘Faith’ as being a ‘Saving Faith’?

Does your faith drive your actions or do your actions drive your faith?

When have you acted because you believed God no matter what? What happened?

How do you define ‘Belief’? Do you have beliefs you do not act on?

/by