WEBVTT 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:39.759 So we are in Ecclesiastes 5 today, and as we are in today's passage, what we're actually going to do, I appreciated the fact that we've included chapter 6. 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:44.799 It is it's part of the same context of the verses we're going to be looking at this morning. 00:00:45.039 --> 00:01:00.719 So it's important for us to uh to see it within its context, but we're gonna focus most of our time and attention on verses eight through to verse 20, and then as we close, make a few comments about chapter six. 00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:03.439 So that's where we're going this morning. 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:14.400 Um, you know, Ecclesiastes, as we've talked about, uh as we've journeyed through the book, it can kind of get a bad rap, I think. 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:22.480 A bad rap for being a book that's perhaps overly pessimistic with little hope or little light. 00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:33.760 And it's because it's a it's the kind of book that requires us to really take this honest and this hard look at our world. 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:45.840 And this honest and and hard look at our own lives, our own motivations, and contemplate this devastating reality of sin. 00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:58.560 And what Ecclesiastes does for us is gives us a clear picture of what life is like without God, a world with sin. 00:01:58.959 --> 00:02:00.799 This is what it looks like. 00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:15.199 And so, really, as we've journeyed through the book of Ecclesiastes, and as we're going to do so this week and in a few and for the next few weeks, um, it's been dealing with these big theologically philosophical questions of life. 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:16.879 Why are we here? 00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:18.639 What's the point? 00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:34.639 And in a real way, this book demands us to take that honest look at our own everyday philosophies of life and to confront these philosophies with the truth of God's word. 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:47.520 Now, listen, this morning, we're going to be talking about some things that can easily be tuned out. 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:55.360 And easily for us, we can approach these things and think, you know, I'm all good here. 00:02:56.800 --> 00:03:02.719 But this is my, I guess, encouragement for us here this morning. 00:03:04.639 --> 00:03:11.199 As we talked about this last week, let God speak this morning. 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:18.240 Let him have the first words and the last words to your heart this morning. 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:23.199 Let him minister to you through these words. 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:35.039 Because I 100% fully believe that God has something important for every single person in this room this morning from his word. 00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:40.960 And so this morning, as we let him speak, what we're gonna see is this. 00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:46.479 We're gonna see how important it is for us to enjoy God's good gifts. 00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:55.919 And we're really gonna spend most of our time, like I said, in verses five, chapter five, verses eight to twenty and referencing chapter six. 00:03:56.159 --> 00:04:13.439 But as we go through this morning and we understand what it means to enjoy God's good gifts, we're gonna look at how enjoying God's good gifts first begins with understanding that wealth will never truly satisfy. 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:25.759 And then we're gonna see that enjoying God's good gifts means embracing life as a gift from God. 00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:28.160 All of life. 00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:30.399 So that's where we're going this morning. 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:40.879 So the first thing we're gonna talk about is this we enjoy God's good gifts by understanding that wealth will never truly satisfy. 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:44.079 Wealth will never truly satisfy. 00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:46.319 Starting in verse 8. 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:48.480 And this is interesting. 00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:49.759 These verses are interesting. 00:04:49.839 --> 00:05:08.399 You know, in the text and the language of the text, it's clear that there's this shift from what we were talking about last week in the first seven verses of chapter five to now this next section of uh of verses that he gives us is beginning in verse eight. 00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:13.279 And you know, this is typical of the teacher of Koelate. 00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:20.879 He he he loves using these transitions and these comparisons as he works throughout the book. 00:05:20.959 --> 00:05:26.240 And he kind of teases out what it means to fear God and keep his commandments through the whole book. 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:29.519 So look at what these verses say. 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:33.600 I mean, they are very interesting, starting in verse 8 of chapter 5. 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:48.560 It says this if you see oppression of the poor and perversion of justice and righteousness in the province, don't be astonished at the situation. 00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:50.879 Don't be surprised. 00:05:51.439 --> 00:06:04.160 He goes on, because one official protects another official, and higher officials protect them, the prophet from the land is taken by all, the king is served by the field. 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:06.399 Interesting verses. 00:06:07.040 --> 00:06:09.439 Oppression and poor. 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:24.000 Don't be surprised at the perversion of justice, at the perversion of righteousness that exists within the culture, that exists within these uh the uh state. 00:06:24.399 --> 00:06:38.560 And so it's interesting because I think also what we're seeing here in a big way is we're seeing the teacher's burden for poor, for the poor, and for the oppressed here in verse 8. 00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:46.480 And in particular, those who are burdened by the yoke of the system or the yoke of the state. 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:53.519 And as we know in scripture, I mean, that was also very important to the heart of Jesus. 00:06:54.160 --> 00:07:09.279 Luke 4, 18 to 19, right after Jesus finishes the temptations of Christ in the wilderness, he goes to Galilee and ministers for a while, then he goes to Nazareth, his hometown, and we know how that all turns out. 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:23.920 In Luke 4, 18 to 19, he stands up in his hometown synagogue in his hometown church, and he reads these words from Isaiah, and then they they they run him out of town for it. 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:29.120 But he reads these words, and we get Christ's heart for poverty, Christ's heart for the poor. 00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:33.120 And a few weeks ago, Pastor Bob preached some sermons on poverty. 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:36.399 If you haven't listened to them, I encourage you to go back and listen to them. 00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:40.879 But he Jesus says this in Luke 4, 18 and 19. 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:50.240 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. 00:07:50.959 --> 00:08:01.839 He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:04.399 I mean, this is so close to the heart of Jesus. 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:20.160 The poor, the oppressed, and this is an important place for us to start here this morning as we talk about wealth and we talk about how there is no satisfaction, full satisfaction guaranteed from wealth, so that we come to this understanding. 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:24.399 Listen, um, uh there is no caste system in the kingdom of God. 00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:27.120 Jesus came for the poor. 00:08:28.079 --> 00:08:32.799 He saves the poor, yes, he saves the rich, but he's come for all. 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:49.759 And we should see that all of us, regardless of our status in society, regardless of how much is in our bank account, all of us are called to the rest and the riches of salvation in Christ. 00:08:50.000 --> 00:09:00.399 And so the teacher here in verses 8 and 9 also teaches us not just that, but showing us the heart for the poor and the heart for the oppressed. 00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:05.919 But he also teaches us again, don't be astonished at the corruption that we see. 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:08.559 Shouldn't surprise us. 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:15.120 When you've got a world full of sin, there's going to be corruption, there's going to be oppression. 00:09:15.440 --> 00:09:26.320 I mean, this is a similar development of the same theme of injustice that was also in chapter 3 and in chapter 4 that the teacher, that Coholate, brings up. 00:09:26.720 --> 00:09:36.320 And these officials that he talks about, he talks about how, you know, don't be astonished at the situation because one official protects another official, and the higher officials protect them. 00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:38.320 Don't be surprised. 00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:45.120 These officials, it's not completely clear as to who they are. 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:56.320 Likely, and we understand as it's talking about province and officials, it is a uh most likely government officials, definitely someone who's in power in the society. 00:09:56.399 --> 00:09:58.799 And he's like, listen, don't be surprised. 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:06.399 Again, I mean, I think this is a difficult reality check for us, even in 2026. 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:09.039 Don't be surprised. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:13.440 It's unfair. 00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:18.559 And it's even okay to say that it is. 00:10:18.639 --> 00:10:20.320 I mean, he says that it is. 00:10:21.440 --> 00:10:25.440 It's even okay, I think, to even say, listen, this is frustrating. 00:10:27.360 --> 00:10:34.559 But we're going to see soon in the passage where our true hope and our true meaning are. 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:41.360 Because meaning and hope can't be satisfied in a fair government system. 00:10:42.399 --> 00:10:45.600 It's impossible in this broken world. 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:50.240 That's why Jesus has come to redeem all of creation. 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:55.440 And then in verse 10, he goes on. 00:10:55.519 --> 00:10:58.559 So he starts with this, and he goes on in verse 10. 00:10:58.879 --> 00:11:02.799 The one who loves silver is never satisfied with silver. 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:07.360 The one who loves wealth is never satisfied with income. 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:10.320 This too is futile. 00:11:11.600 --> 00:11:13.759 This too is futility. 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:19.600 Now, some of you might be um familiar with Andrew Carnegie. 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:24.240 Uh he lived back 1835 to 1919. 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:26.720 But uh Carnegie was an interesting guy. 00:11:26.879 --> 00:11:39.759 See, he uh as uh he uh he he built the the Carnegie Steel Corporation into the largest steel manufacturing company in the entire world. 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:43.279 And in 1901, Carnegie sold his company. 00:11:43.360 --> 00:12:03.840 Again, this is 1901, he sold his company for$500 million in 1901, uh which is estimated over probably, I mean, it's really hard to do the whole the whole estimation today, but uh around 10 billion or more today. 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:07.120 Some even say hundreds of billions today. 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:18.159 But what made him memorable wasn't the fact that he was rich, but what he did with his wealth, with his riches, if you know his story. 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:19.759 He really made an impact. 00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:27.279 You see, by the time that Carnegie died, he gave away more than 90% of what he had. 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:34.399 And the remaining 10% he left with a foundation that he built to give the rest of it away. 00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:40.480 I wonder what it was like for that family to meet with that lawyer. 00:12:41.919 --> 00:12:57.919 Woo! But Carnegie is known for funding medical research, incredible feats of like building universities and a myriad of other philanthropy endeavors, and the remainder of his wealth, like I said, was put into a foundation. 00:12:58.080 --> 00:13:10.320 But he's famous for saying this, and this is what he says, and I'm uncertain if this guy was a Christian or not, but he said this: he said, a man who dies rich dies graced. 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:23.279 That's a moment I thought of being a popular preacher. 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:34.000 See what the teacher is telling us here in these verses. 00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:37.679 And it leaves us with a sobering reminder. 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:40.879 Nothing good comes from loving money. 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:42.080 Nothing. 00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:46.480 Nothing good comes from loving money. 00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:49.600 1 Timothy 6 10. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:58.159 The Apostle Paul explains that loving money can incite within us all kinds of evil intentions. 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:08.879 And just think about it, when he writes those verses and um to the church. 00:14:30.080 --> 00:14:34.159 1 Timothy 6, even like these verses, right? 00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:41.519 Starting at the end of verse 2 down through verse 10, he says this. 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:44.559 He says, Teach and encourage these things. 00:14:45.600 --> 00:15:00.799 If anyone teaches false doctrine and does not agree with the sound teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the teaching that promotes godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interest in disputes and arguments over words. 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:15.440 From these come envy, quarreling, slander, evil suspicions, and constant disagreement among people whose minds are depraved and deprived of the truth, who imagine that godliness is a way of material gain. 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:17.679 So he's talking about false teachers. 00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:25.600 And he says, but godliness with contentment, that's the Christian's calling. 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:30.159 Godliness with contentment is great gain. 00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:36.080 For we were brought, for we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:42.559 Very similar to what the teacher, what Collate, is saying in Ecclesiastes, we can take nothing out. 00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:46.480 If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 00:15:46.639 --> 00:16:00.559 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. 00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:11.200 And verse 10, for the love of money, it's not saying money is evil, but the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:21.440 By craving it, we have wandered away from the faith and perceived, by craving it, they've wandered away from the faith and perceived themselves with many griefs. 00:16:21.600 --> 00:16:26.399 I mean, those are sobering, piercing, famous words. 00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:28.559 You know what's interesting again? 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:30.480 He's writing this to Timothy. 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:32.960 He's writing this to the church. 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:37.519 He's not writing it for the society, but he's writing it for the church. 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:46.720 And he's not naming extreme examples of embezzlement and stealing and things that you would see in the newspaper. 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:52.639 I mean, these things make headlines, embezzlement, stealing, things that make headlines. 00:16:52.879 --> 00:17:01.039 But what Paul is addressing in those sobering words is the everyday temptation of our hearts. 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:05.839 Things that aren't criminal but sinful. 00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:18.240 And I know these are harder to define because this love of money can thrive in the most unsuspecting environments. 00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:22.240 But this is the point. 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:29.519 The point is, is what and who we love has an impact on our spiritual condition. 00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:37.599 That's why he says, Paul does, some have wandered from the faith, piercing themselves with many griefs. 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:46.640 I mean, another way of putting it is when money becomes our love, it puts money in the place it was never supposed to be. 00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:50.720 The place that was only supposed to be occupied by God. 00:17:52.319 --> 00:17:58.720 Money promises so much and can make some things even seem easier. 00:17:59.519 --> 00:18:06.960 But it can also be the greatest distractions of life and the greatest distractions for the Christian. 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:15.279 If you think about it, in reality, money, it's the picture of fleeting. 00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:19.920 It's a picture of our temporal world that we live in. 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:22.240 We we need to survive. 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:33.759 And we spend our lives making money, we spend our lives spending money, but like the grass and the and the flowers fading, it has absolutely no eternal significance. 00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:43.119 The day we're dead is the day, listen, you are not gonna care what's in your bank account. 00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:53.599 You know, and there's there's different ways that we can love money, scripture teaches. 00:18:54.400 --> 00:18:57.920 We can chase it to just accumulate more and more. 00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:02.079 We can also be very stingy with money. 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:04.160 1 John 3.17. 00:19:04.240 --> 00:19:14.000 If anyone has this world's needs and sees a fellow believer in need, but withholds compassion from him, how does God's love reside in him? 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:16.160 Mean stingy. 00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:18.960 We can be stingy with our money. 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:21.359 We can also, that's a sign of greed. 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:27.920 We we can also, we can also love it in the way that we act entitled to it. 00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:32.720 2 Thessalonians 3.10, Paul is encouraging Thessalonians. 00:19:32.799 --> 00:19:39.839 A bunch of them were like, you know, Jesus is coming, we don't need to work, but the church should be providing for us, the church should be feeding us. 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:52.640 And in 2 Thessalonians 3.10, Paul's exhorting them, and he's saying, in fact, um, when we were with you, this is what I commanded you if anyone isn't willing to work, he should not eat. 00:19:53.039 --> 00:19:54.960 They were acting entitled. 00:19:55.759 --> 00:20:13.359 And then 1 Timothy 5 even gives us instruction as to how the church isn't supposed to be burdened with uh with needs in the sense of being wise and how the church takes care of widows in that particular context. 00:20:13.599 --> 00:20:18.240 We could even apply that, apply that broadly so the church isn't burdened. 00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:22.240 You know, we can live as if we're entitled to it. 00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:25.119 But what does he say? 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:30.079 All this comes from this kind of love, that money that never satisfies. 00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:32.240 This too is futile, he says. 00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:40.000 And then in verse 11, when good things increase, the one who consumes them multiply. 00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:46.559 What then is a profit for the owner except to gaze at them with his eyes? 00:20:46.799 --> 00:20:57.440 The sleep of the worker is sweet, verse 12, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich permits him no sleep. 00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:06.079 Basically saying, you know, the richer you are, the more worried you're gonna be about your money, and it's gonna be harder for you to sleep. 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:12.160 And then he says this, and uh, and this is the first sickening tragedy. 00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:18.400 There's a second one that he explains in chapter six, but this is the first one, and the second one, chapter six, it's it's similar. 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:22.319 But here he says this there is a sickening tragedy I've seen under the sun. 00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:26.720 In verse 13, wealth kept by its owner to his harm. 00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:34.079 So he's talking about being stingy, not giving, but but just heaping it up for himself. 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:35.920 And it's kept to his own harm. 00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:41.279 Then he says, verse 14, that wealth was lost in a bad venture. 00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:46.559 So when he fathered a son, he was empty handed. 00:21:47.359 --> 00:21:52.559 And as he came from his mother's womb, so he will go again, naked as he came. 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:56.240 As Jesus was talking about you came into this world with nothing. 00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:59.200 You're gonna leave out of this world with nothing. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:06.000 Naked as he came, he will take nothing for his efforts that he can carry in his hands. 00:22:06.160 --> 00:22:14.559 So he's given us this story of this guy who had all this wealth, put it in a bad business venture, and then he lost it all. 00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:18.799 He had nothing left, nothing to provide for his own children. 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:22.880 And then he says this in verse 16. 00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:25.599 This too is a sickening tragedy. 00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:29.200 Exactly as he comes, he will go. 00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:32.079 What does the one gain who struggles for? 00:22:32.319 --> 00:22:33.279 The wind. 00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:35.839 Verse 17. 00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:37.680 What is more? 00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:42.720 He eats in darkness all of his days with much frustration, sickness, and anger. 00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:47.759 This is the man who loves money, but he's lost it all. 00:22:51.839 --> 00:23:04.160 Verses 15 to 16 really become, again, another sobering reminder that should that we should ask ourselves some of these questions. 00:23:04.319 --> 00:23:08.160 I mean, what was the point of this guy being stingy? 00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:11.039 What was the point? 00:23:12.319 --> 00:23:19.279 This love of money did nothing but lead him to loneliness, darkness, frustration, sickness, and anger in verse 17. 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:33.759 And here I think is a hard question for us, but if you had none of your wealth, would you be content and satisfied in Christ? 00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:48.880 If you had nothing material to offer, would you be content and satisfied in the Lord, or would the rest of your days look like verse 17? 00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:57.279 Eating in darkness, frustrated, sick, and anger. 00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:04.640 And on that note, we head into verse 18. 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:06.880 See that? 00:24:07.119 --> 00:24:10.720 That was loving money, but verse 18, here's what is good. 00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:15.200 Enjoy God and what he has given to you. 00:24:15.519 --> 00:24:17.759 Enjoying God and what he's given to you. 00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:26.319 See, uh verse beginning verse 18, we see that that as enjoying God's good gifts, we do so by embracing life as a gift from God. 00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:28.720 Embracing life as a gift from God. 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:32.240 Um, very I love these verses. 00:24:32.799 --> 00:24:35.119 I mean, this is what's good, okay? 00:24:35.359 --> 00:24:38.559 That's what was bad, those first verses we looked at. 00:24:38.720 --> 00:24:40.559 But this is what's good. 00:24:41.680 --> 00:24:49.920 Chasing the uncertain and unfulfilling realities of wealth will always leave us in verse 17. 00:24:50.480 --> 00:24:53.200 But this is what's good. 00:24:53.680 --> 00:24:58.880 A group of kids were asked, um, and they weren't my kids, by the way. 00:24:59.039 --> 00:25:05.839 Um their favorite thing was about life. 00:25:06.400 --> 00:25:17.119 One said playing, another said mommy and daddy, another said zebras, another chocolate cake. 00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:21.440 And another responded to the first asking question, just being with you. 00:25:22.400 --> 00:25:25.839 I mean, their answers are so simple, right? 00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:27.200 They're ordinary. 00:25:27.359 --> 00:25:31.519 I mean, these are everyday things that these kids valued so much. 00:25:32.160 --> 00:25:35.519 You know what our our text does in scriptures? 00:25:35.599 --> 00:25:43.119 It helps us to value the things that we take for granted and to understand where these things come from. 00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:55.359 See, our text takes us on this turn from the pessimism of the previous verses to now what is good and should be celebrated, starting in verse 18. 00:25:55.680 --> 00:25:58.720 Here is what I have seen to be good. 00:26:00.240 --> 00:26:14.079 It is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good and all the labor one does under the sun during the days, the few days of his life, of his life that God has given him, because that is his reward. 00:26:14.319 --> 00:26:27.599 Furthermore, everyone to whom God has given riches and wealth, he has also allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward and rejoice in his labor. 00:26:28.240 --> 00:26:30.559 This is a gift of God. 00:26:31.839 --> 00:26:39.519 For he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart. 00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:42.640 These are beautiful verses. 00:26:43.200 --> 00:26:50.079 See, what is good here, as described by the teacher, is not necessarily balance. 00:26:50.240 --> 00:26:52.400 And yes, balance is so important. 00:26:52.480 --> 00:27:08.319 And we live already in such an imbalanced society, and even our pursuit of money can make it so imbalanced, neglecting all the other important things of life, spiritual life, family life, all those kinds of things in pursuit of prestige, in pursuit of wealth, and that's not good. 00:27:08.400 --> 00:27:18.960 But what he's talking about here is the focus and the attention of our hearts, an understanding that all that we have in life comes from God. 00:27:19.920 --> 00:27:28.079 And in times of plenty and in times of need, Philippians 4, it's all from God on high. 00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:33.519 Everything we have is from Him, and it is His. 00:27:34.400 --> 00:27:37.359 Our hearts pursue Him and in pursuit. 00:27:37.599 --> 00:27:44.079 We accept our life and we accept the good things and enjoy the good things that He's given. 00:27:44.240 --> 00:27:46.000 I mean, isn't that beautiful? 00:27:47.759 --> 00:27:59.279 You know, verses 8 to 17 that we looked at earlier, and then here with verses 10 to 20, they really present these two radical different approaches to life. 00:27:59.519 --> 00:28:07.359 Especially when comparing the darkness of verse 17 with the delight of these verses, in particular, verse 19. 00:28:08.319 --> 00:28:20.240 The beginning of verse 18, what he does is he lays on a little bit of humility where he says, the few days of his life God has given him because this is his reward. 00:28:20.400 --> 00:28:30.960 So enjoy, eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor that one does under the sun during the few days of his life. 00:28:31.119 --> 00:28:33.039 I mean, right there, there's kind of like a little bit of remarkable. 00:28:33.119 --> 00:28:36.480 Hey, listen, uh, our lives are short. 00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:39.440 There'll only be a few days. 00:28:40.319 --> 00:28:47.279 You know, these days of our lives are few, but don't they just seem so long sometimes? 00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:52.720 But they are from God, and they are a gift from God. 00:28:55.039 --> 00:29:01.519 Every day we wake up is a gift from God. 00:29:03.440 --> 00:29:05.119 It's all His. 00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:26.400 This is us embracing and enjoying life regardless of our toil, regardless of our circumstances, because we understand that all of life came from the master creator of the universe who loves us. 00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:27.680 God. 00:29:29.759 --> 00:29:44.000 And I don't want to sound too simplistic because I understand this is tough, because some of us here are in some really tough circumstances, and I don't know why you're sick. 00:29:44.720 --> 00:29:56.400 I don't know why you might be in the trouble and the heartache and the problems that you are, other than the fact, listen, we live in a broken and sin-infested world. 00:29:57.039 --> 00:29:58.559 But I do know this. 00:29:59.359 --> 00:30:05.440 God, in his richness and his mercy, in his grace, has allowed that into your life. 00:30:05.519 --> 00:30:06.799 He's planted you in that life. 00:30:06.960 --> 00:30:12.640 Every day is a gift from him, and he is making all things new under Jesus Christ. 00:30:17.119 --> 00:30:20.079 Wealth and money are not evil. 00:30:20.880 --> 00:30:23.839 Work and toil, they're not evil. 00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:28.799 They are gifts from God, but they're gifts to be enjoyed. 00:30:30.319 --> 00:30:34.640 Not in a way that we replace the glory of God with these things. 00:30:37.440 --> 00:30:44.880 They're enjoyed only when we seek to fear God, glorify him above all else. 00:30:46.640 --> 00:30:51.279 Seeing that what we have and the circumstances that we are in are from him. 00:30:55.039 --> 00:31:11.839 And this can be such a difficult perspective to keep in mind, especially in our world of considerable consumerism, where the love of wealth is celebrated, doing evil things, even. 00:31:13.759 --> 00:31:18.000 And business, whatever it might be, it's celebrated. 00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:21.839 And it's a constant temptation. 00:31:23.759 --> 00:31:40.960 Uh commentator puts it this way, where the love of God, though, this is where we're at, he says this, where the love of God is firm, full enjoyment of the creation is possible and desirable. 00:31:41.680 --> 00:31:46.000 One is completely in the arms of God and completely in the world. 00:31:46.240 --> 00:31:47.519 It's possible. 00:31:48.960 --> 00:32:01.519 You know, because of God's love towards you and towards me, and especially through the love of Christ, we can find fulfillment and enjoyment even in our suffering. 00:32:04.640 --> 00:32:08.000 We have a Savior who suffered on our behalf. 00:32:09.119 --> 00:32:27.279 And our suffering, in our times of plenty, in our loneliness, in our days that we have little hope, things are different for us because we remember the great love of God. 00:32:27.759 --> 00:32:36.720 We accept our life as a gift and we find joy in Him and what is eternal, not in the fleeting things of this life. 00:32:39.279 --> 00:32:47.039 We don't affirm joy by ignoring the present pain and ignoring the joy-robbing evil. 00:32:47.279 --> 00:32:56.240 Rather, we're able to affirm it in the context of our greatest pains and in the face of the greatest evil. 00:32:58.319 --> 00:33:31.839 Because we have a heavenly father who gives us more than we need to enjoy life, and we have an amazing Savior who stood up in the face of evil, who conquered evil, who is coming back one day to save us ultimately from all evil, to punish evil for all of eternity. 00:33:33.200 --> 00:33:43.920 And what Collate does in these verses, and then he continues in chapter six, is encouraging us to keep this perspective. 00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:52.720 And really, chapter six is almost identical in message to the verses we looked at earlier through verses 10 to 17. 00:33:53.200 --> 00:34:05.440 He examples another tragedy in chapter 6, um, and he reminds them in verse 12 again of the few days of their life, so all this should be understood in context. 00:34:05.599 --> 00:34:10.719 And in verse 3, he paints another picture, and I think this is interesting. 00:34:10.960 --> 00:34:27.440 Chapter 6, verse 3 is it says, A man may father a hundred children and live many years, no matter how long he lives, if he is not satisfied by good things and does not even have a proper burial. 00:34:27.760 --> 00:34:32.960 I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 00:34:34.159 --> 00:34:39.199 See what he's doing here is he's painting this ideal life for the ancient man. 00:34:39.519 --> 00:34:45.119 The ancient man's ideal life was lots of children, long life, and a great burial site. 00:34:45.280 --> 00:34:47.519 I mean, how about that for a bucket list? 00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:52.239 But this is the point. 00:34:52.800 --> 00:34:59.920 We can have all kinds of everything, but still be lost and empty. 00:35:00.639 --> 00:35:13.599 Things can even be going well in our lives, in the sense relationships good, finances good, we can be free of heartache, even free of grief, but still be so empty. 00:35:15.119 --> 00:35:21.599 Because our wealth, our health, and our situation is not why we're here. 00:35:23.119 --> 00:35:25.519 And it's not going to satisfy us. 00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:27.280 It's all passing away. 00:35:27.440 --> 00:35:35.039 But your life, your soul, God's great love for you and I, those are the eternal things. 00:35:35.360 --> 00:35:38.400 God's not going anywhere, and neither is his love. 00:35:40.480 --> 00:35:46.880 His love is so great that he gave us the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ. 00:35:48.480 --> 00:35:59.119 A gift so great and indescribable, 2 Corinthians 9.15, a gift so powerful that all the emptiness of this life is just swallowed up. 00:35:59.920 --> 00:36:24.480 A gift so astoundingly generous that we look at Jesus Christ, we look at the cross, we see his great salvation, his grace, and his generosity, and we can't help but live out a life of generosity, not a life of greed and chasing things that just mean nothing in the vision of reality or in the vision of eternity. 00:36:25.599 --> 00:36:30.800 Because we know that only Jesus fills our souls, so we enjoy God's good gifts. 00:36:31.039 --> 00:36:34.159 I'm gonna ask everyone to just bow their heads, close their eyes. 00:36:35.440 --> 00:36:46.400 Here is my question for you this morning: have you embraced Jesus as your gift from God? 00:36:48.239 --> 00:36:55.760 Maybe you're here this morning and you have never embraced Jesus as the gift from God, but he is. 00:36:57.679 --> 00:37:03.199 He lived a perfect life, died on the cross, was buried, and he rose again for your sin and my sin. 00:37:04.800 --> 00:37:07.199 He took your sin and your shame to the cross. 00:37:07.360 --> 00:37:12.960 No matter what you're going through, what you've done, all can be forgiven. 00:37:15.119 --> 00:37:20.239 And he's calling you to receive his good gift and enjoy it, the gift of salvation. 00:37:20.400 --> 00:37:27.039 If that's you this morning, I encourage you to make that decision and trust Christ. 00:37:27.440 --> 00:37:29.679 You can even just talk to him right now. 00:37:31.599 --> 00:37:38.000 Between you and him, you can acknowledge just between you and him that you are a sinner. 00:37:40.159 --> 00:37:46.159 In your own words, you can thank him for his gift of salvation. 00:37:48.159 --> 00:37:49.440 It's free. 00:37:50.239 --> 00:37:52.000 You don't have to work for it. 00:37:52.320 --> 00:37:54.400 That's the definition of a gift. 00:37:55.679 --> 00:37:57.920 You can do that here this morning. 00:38:00.159 --> 00:38:16.159 Father, I pray that we would live lives that are not consumed with the fleeting nature of this life, but with the eternal nature of life to come. 00:38:17.840 --> 00:38:23.039 That Father, every day we would live with eternity in mind and in our vision. 00:38:24.159 --> 00:38:27.199 We wouldn't chase wealth, but we would chase you. 00:38:28.320 --> 00:38:36.079 And in doing so, Lord, we would enjoy your blessings, whether we have plenty or whether we are in need. 00:38:37.280 --> 00:38:39.519 But Lord, we would enjoy them. 00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:44.800 And even as a church, Lord, I pray that we would be a generous church. 00:38:45.440 --> 00:38:48.639 A generous church in the name of Jesus Christ. 00:38:50.239 --> 00:38:56.880 I pray each and every one of us would not be stingy, but generous in the name of Jesus Christ. 00:38:59.599 --> 00:39:04.079 Because, Lord, this is spiritual warfare that you have called us to. 00:39:04.239 --> 00:39:07.760 So we lean on you for your strength and your wisdom in doing so. 00:39:07.840 --> 00:39:09.119 We pray in Jesus' name. 00:39:09.360 --> 00:39:10.000 Amen.