Sermon Tone Analysis

TEXT:  Ecclesiastes 11:1-10

TOPIC: Living Life to the Max

Pastor Bobby Earls, First Baptist Church, Center Point, Alabama

May 3, 2009 

Ecclesiastes 11:1-10 (NKJV) \\ /1 //Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days.

2 //Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.

3 //If the clouds are full of rain, They empty themselves upon the earth; And if a tree falls to the south or the north, In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie. 4 //He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap.

5 //As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.

6 //In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, Either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good.

7 //Truly the light is sweet, And it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun; 8 //But if a man lives many years And rejoices in them all, Yet let him remember the days of darkness, For they will be many.

All that is coming is vanity.

9 //Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment.

10 //Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, And put away evil from your flesh, For childhood and youth are vanity./

The book known as Ecclesiastes is one of the most fascinating, while at the same time, one of the most frustrating books of the bible.

We understand its author to be Solomon, whom the bible describes as the wisest man who ever lived.

The Holy Spirit used Solomon to write three inspired works.

In his youth, he wrote of the love of his life and it came to be known as the Song of Solomon.

It is his love story.

In his middle years he wrote many of the Proverbs found in the book with the same name.

It was his rule book.

Finally, in his old age, his twilight years, he wrote Ecclesiastes.

It is his personal diary of introspection.

I took time last evening to look that word up to make sure it means what I want it to say.

Introspection refers to an examination of one’s own thoughts and feelings.

That’s exactly what Ecclesiastes is all about.

They are Solomon’s memoirs, his summary of life as he understood it, at the end of his days.

In Ecclesiastes 11:1-11 we are given His subject, “Vanity of vanities.

All is vanity.”

Sounds rather depressing doesn’t it?

Beginning with verse 12, of chapter 1 and going through chapter 10 we are given his sermon.

He is called the preacher, and every preacher needs a sermon.

For the most part, the entire book of Ecclesiastes is one long sermon.

Is there any other kind?

Then Ecclesiastes 11-12 we find the summary of his sermon, we might entitle, “All is Vanity.”

When Solomon speaks of vanity, he is not talking of vanity as we often use the word in describing someone as a vain individual, like in the song, “You’re so vain.”

The Hebrew word for vanity has a descriptive meaning.

It’s the picture of someone chasing the wind, of someone trying desperately to grasp the wind in their hand.

It’s hopeless.

It’s meaningless.

It’s vanity.

But is that all there is to life lived here on earth?

You need to remember, this is the reflections of a man, although described as wise, nevertheless, a man, fallen, depraved and sinful.

Twenty-nine times he describes life as he saw it as a “man under the sun.”

If we focus only on what this world has to offer, then all is surely vanity.

But let me ask again, is life lived here on earth meaningless?

SLIDE 2              

Jesus said/, “I have come that they might have life and that they might have it, more abundantly.”/

John 10:10               

Our commercial media encourages us today to live life to the max.

I examined all my junk e-mails to see what it is that I might be missing out on in order to live life to the max.

Here’s what I found.

I need the Electric Scooter, only $99 and guaranteed to arrive before Christmas.

I need herbal sensations.

Then I can say goodbye to unwanted hair.

Don’t worry about shaving this summer.

Just click here.

Then there’s the one where I can have a fabulous vacation beginning at just $18, plus.

It’s the plus that scares me!

And everybody in America needs the world’s smallest webcam and digital camera.

There’s an offer for 12 free burgers.

Someone owes me $320.

Why don’t they just send it to me?

And Sally Summers, whoever she is, wants to send me a free Martha Stewart Cookie.

The fact is, we are bombarded with infomercials that promise their product will greatly aid us in finding complete fulfillment.

Listen, if products alone could create maximum living we would all be maxed out!

The problem is we are emotionally maxed out trying to discover maximum living in this world alone.

I’m convinced that was Solomon’s problem most of his life.

He tried the world of thought that is education and intellect.

He went on to the world of thrills, wine, women and song.

That didn’t satisfy.

He toyed with the world of things.

He had everything the world had to offer, but his conclusion as the end of days ….vanity.

The problem with many still today is that they are so emotionally maxed out trying to discover maximum living in the things of this world.

They will not satisfy.

Living life to the max is not a matter of the products we buy, but the Spirit we possess.

There are those who have little but are living life to the max.

Then there are those who have everything money can buy but are miserable.

It is the inner spirit of a man or woman that determines what he or she gets out of life.

Solomon, in Ecclesiastes 11, shares with us some invaluable principles for living life to the maximum.

*  I.

INVEST YOUR LIFE, Ecclesiastes 11:1-2*

/Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days.

Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, For you do not know what evil will be on the earth./

The terminology of verse one is a little confusing.

One Bible translator put it this way, “Send your grain across the sea, and in time you will receive a return.”

Solomon understood this principle well.

In I Kings 10 we are told he possessed a powerful commercial fleet.

He made many large investments in life.

He is encouraging us to invest our lives in that which really counts.

Jesus again said, “/What would it profit a man if he gained the whole world and lost his soul?”  /               

Then, in verse 2 he encourages us to diversify.

Boy, those of us who have much or most of our investments in stocks today understand the importance of diversifying, right?

Did you know that you can diversify your life as a believer?

We can make investments through the various areas of our lives.

Your life is like a pie.

Each slice represents a responsibility or a role you play.

We make investments in each area everyday.

One modern time management system utilizes this principle.

It stresses the principle of investing time and energy in the most important areas of our life first, allowing priorities rather than crisis to dictate the day.

* **II.