Labor Day - A Perspective on Life
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So today we’re going to delve into a book of the Bible that many, kind of, shy away from. I personally think it has gotten a bad rap.
Its the book of Ecclesiastes. Personally, this book might be one of the best books of scripture to speak into the current culture. And there’s a number of reasons I say this, but if you just read the opening chapters, I think you’ll see what I mean.
So the big question the author has is this (and this is in Ed’s words for sure-you might call it something else), what really counts? Or maybe…when its all said and done, what really matters?
So we’re thinking about this on labor day...
Labor Day - its a day when we focus on resting from our work…and if you’re from around here, going to the stark county fair to see Gregg Reuschman drive in the demolition derby or to see Dave Huggins and his tractors…or to see your kids and their animals…or…lots of people from here have been active..super active in the fair!
A day to recognize work by not working at all. Right? Except for all of those thing around the yard and house that you can never get done.
Doesn’t it seem that those lists of things to do never get done?
The author of Ecclesiastes looks at that very dilemma.
So I heard this joke from Izzy Caley this week. What did the caterpillar say to the butterfly. Wow, you’ve really changed.
And that’s our goal today…to walk out of those doors just slightly different than when you came in. Changed a little bit more into the image of Jesus.
So I’m going to begin by letting you know who wrote this incredible book…I’m just going to read…and again, this might sound like the opening of a very depressing book…and you may be right.
1 The words of Ecclesiast, son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.
2 “Futility of futilities,” said the ecclesiast, “Futility of futilities. Everything is futile.”
3 What gain is there for a person in all his hardship that he toils under the sun?
It sounds like a sad day for Solomon doesn’t it. Like that sad country song that talks about a guy losing his girlfriend and his truck won’t start.
So next he says this....
13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!
14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Work in the beginning was a part of life…and meaningful because it was given....but then another type of work was given…it was given by God …but not necessarily for purpose and meaning…it was given because of a curse.
Mankind sinned. And God told Adam…now, because of what you did, you will now work to eat. The ground will no longer simply provide you what you need. “…by the sweat of your brow you will eat.”
And now humanity looks at work like it can fulfill us…a chasing after the wind. Meaningless.
So right here we see his pursuit and what he’s found…in short form.
Chasing after the wind.
So what we’re going to do today is look at perspective. Because, this is what Solomon sees…and from finally seeing that this is a perspective issue, he makes a statement at the end of the book…that summarizes his new perspective on life.
So we’ll look at three areas of life that, where we chase life…continually…hoping to find meaning and purpose....from things that weren’t meant to bring ultimate fulfillment. Work, Wealth, and Entertainment/Pleasure
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There was a book recently published by a scholar who was studying the ideas of work, wealth, and entertainment in life…and where we are as a people.
The book is titled…the Progress Paradox.
The subtitle is this…How life gets better while people feel worse.
Here’s what the author noticed. And he looked at American culture.
Disposable income is up over the last couple hundred years. Meaning…for the most part…putting aside vital needs…we have more to spend on extras. Now that’s a generalization for sure…but overall, we have more.
Central Air…AC…I mean that’s something that many people almost can’t live without now.
Medical care - There’s lots of advancements there from medicine to surgical advancements and more. Generally speaking we live longer.
Work…now we all still work…and some jobs can be back breaking… but there have advancements in tools and machines and robots and vehicles…computers....
Entertainment…wow…it’s at our fingertips…all day long!
Now all of this stuff to help us live better…but there was something else he found. Clinical depression “has been rising in eerie synchronization with rising prosperity,” roughly 10 times the diagnosed cases of fifty years ago.
Another person asked, “Why is it that no matter how much we have, no matter how good we have it, we struggle to feel satisfied? Why do we sometimes feel let down?
What would it take for us to be fulfilled? Truly filled up in life?
The paradox. Better work, more wealth, leisure and entertainment....all evidences of prosperity. But we still don’t feel fulfilled.
WORK
So Solomon loved good work. He filled up his days with work.
And if you look at our schedules, you’d probably agree, most of our week is taken up with work hours. And that can be work at home or at a job…or even maybe something that relates to work.
Here’s what Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 2:11
11 When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.
And he, in this, sees something in work. We work…and are satisfied with what we’ve done…but then, we start all over the next day…again…to do much the same things. Like the sun rises and sets just to start over the next day…work....
So I think we find a truth here in what he notices and I’ll ask you a question to see if we all can land on this.
Can we find ultimate meaning in work? Ultimate satisfaction? Ultimate purpose?
No…work wasn’t meant for that.
In fact God says that.
But in our culture, what do we do here...
We ask....
“What do you want to do with your life?” “What is your lifelong goal when it comes to a career?” And even much…maybe not all, but much of our education system is built on this endeavor.
To help people find meaningful work.
But here’s what Solomon found, work doesn’t ultimately get you there. Meaning work doesn’t, even can’t, give you ultimate meaning in life.
Even being the King with all the wisdom of God to govern well doesn’t get you there.
WEALTH
He touches on wealth in portions of his book.
The author of the book I just referenced…the Progress Paradox, looked at this when it came to wealth. I’m not sure who in here is knowledgeable about watches…but this is becoming a pretty big industry…luxury watches.
So he writes about wealth…and what he terms is a First World Problem: High end wristwatches are self winding. Meaning, as you walk or move throughout the day, they are geared so that they wind themselves simply with your arm movements. Pretty cool.
So what do you do if you’re in the position of owning more than one high end watch? If they’re not worn, they will not keep accurate time. What you can do is this, “Go to the Asprey and Garrard store on 5th Ave in NYC and get out about $6K for a calfskin box in which six electronically powered wrists slowly rotate, winding your self winding high end watches.”
Wealth....
Wealth....Solomon noticed something about wealth.
In chapter 2 he talks about acquiring servants and money and silver and even whole territories…yes, other kingdoms.....
Ecclesiastes 2:10 (CSB)
10 All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them...
He gathered and gathered and bought and acquired…and still...
What he found was futility. Yes, he was, in the short term satisfied…but what he found was, he needed to either
do again what he had just accomplished
or do again with bigger gains...
…in order to be happy.
10 Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.
Now again, he’s not talking about short term need meeting or even short term satisfaction. He’s talking about the cycle of …I have…and then I need to have again…or I need more…in order to keep being happy.
Futility…ultimately its like chasing the wind.
We get something new…and for a little bit, it provides the answer to a need or a short term feeling of satisfaction. Maybe even sometimes helping us to feel new...
But how many times have we felt this???…I have more than enough.
If you’re like most people…as income or wealth grows, so does your expenses. You have a bit more, so you buy the newer car. Or you buy the larger home. Or go on the longer trip...
But in the end, is wealth truly and ultimately fulfilling?
Now notice something....Solomon is not calling these things bad things. He’s calling out how we view these things…our perspective. How we sometimes see work and wealth…and pleasure or entertainment as means to ultimate fulfillment.
How about pleasure…entertainment?
He begins this question in Ecclesiastes 2:1
1 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless.
Solomon had enterainment available all the time.
Ecclesiastes 2:8 (NIV)
8 ...I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart.
First part…he hired his own entertainment. Spared no expense. This, in our world, would be like Solomon going out and hiring Justin Beiber or Taylor Swift to sing for him…not just to sing for him but to be his singers…his...if you don’t know who those people are ....we’ll go with the Jackson Five or Elvis.
And the second part ......we’ll just let it say what it says…nothing else needed there right? 1000....wives and extra wives....we’ll just leave that there. Some of these things …well they can be immoral…Solomon recognizes this in the end.
I did not withhold anything my eyes desired.
What do you think he found? Futility. A chasing after the wind.
In the realm of entertainment....Are we any different? Now you might say...I don’t have that kind of money…for that kind of entertainment....However....
Entertainment at our fingertips. We can watch shows all day, take in podcasts all day, watch movies all day, listen to music all day. Watch sports all day long…live sports and classic games. You can watch the news all day long…watch the weather all day long. Play games all day long. You can have your eye full of worst stuff all day long…the pornography industry ....internet pornography makes up about 20% of total e-commerce sales in the United States.
You could watch British cooking shows 24/7.
We have places to go and ways to get us there for the sake of entertainment.
All day long....entertainment…you can buy just about any substance to help you feel entertained…all day long.
I could go on and on. I think, in the entertainment area…we have a lot more than Solomon…maybe not the live version stuff he might have had…but its all at our fingertips.
Solomon even talked about using gardening and building, not as work, but as ways of pleasure...
What does Solomon say about pleasure and entertainment?
Yes…futility, a chasing after the wind.
Solomon does come up with some answers to what is helpful.
14 I perceived everything God did, they will be for eternity. Nothing will be added to him, and nothing shall be taken away from him, and God did them so that they would fear his face.
Not fear as in be very afraid. Fear in the Hebrew is in line with respect…complete reverence of the holy. LIke....You are God and I am not. A posture of complete humility.
What humanity does or acquires…will be for a time…in a season. And sometimes these things that mankind walks through or experiences for a season…some of these things are beautiful in and of themselves.
Some of you probably know the song taken from Ecclesiastes 3...
Turn turn turn turn… For everything there is a season.
There’s beauty in what God does and creates. And it lasts forever.
Do we see things as from God....the one who really gives us meaning, and purpose and eternal love?
Or do we really on the “things” of life to give us fulfillment?
Through the book you’ll find Solomon writing little pieces of wisdom here and there…Like this…find goodness in your work. Find goodness in your wealth. Enjoy things of entertainment....Find things of God in them. Learn what is pleasing to God and know that God will eventually bring judgement on your choices in life.
Let’s get down to that last thing Solomon finally comes to....
13 Hear the whole end of the word: “Fear God and guard his commands,” for this is the whole person.
14 For God will remember every action in judgment, in each thing that has been overlooked, whether good or wicked.
13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
Look to God…the one who ultimately will give us full life. Look to Him for how to live. Perspective...
Look at life through the eyes of the one who created it.
God can give you full life.
Jesus said…I am the way the truth and the life. True fulfilling and ultimate life comes from God.
This is the healthiest perspective.