The Pursuit - Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26

INTRO

-CAT UPDATE-

In the classic comedy "Groundhog Day," Bill Murray's character, weatherman Phil Connors, repeatedly experiences February second in Punk-sa-tawney, Pennsylvania.

Engaged in a seemingly endless loop, some viewers speculate he might be trapped for up to three decades.

To cope with this relentless repetition, Phil explores various life paths:

hedonism, engaging in all pleasurable activities without restraint;

greed, stealing (an armored car) and indulging in materialistic whims;

despair, attempting to end his life multiple times without success;

and ultimately, knowledge, where he seeks self-improvement through learning and skill acquisition.

The loop only breaks once Phil finds contentment and love in his repetitive existence.

His journey echoes the message of the book of Ecclesiastes, which encourages us to find satisfaction and meaning in our seemingly monotonous and unchangeable lives by embracing and finding contentment in what is given to us.

There’s one part of the movie where Phil asks two locals, “What would you do if you were stuck in one place, and every day was the same, and nothing you did really mattered?”

One of the men stares into his beer mug and says, “Yep, that about sums it up for me.”

It captures the existential essence of his—and arguably our own—experience.

We are stuck in a monotonous prison where nothing we do really changes anything, and the only way to live a meaningful life in this meaningless existence is to find satisfaction and contentment in what God has given us.

Today we are continuing the preachers argument on the vanity of life.

Here is our big idea today

Big Idea: Life In Christ is gift not gain.

Can we break the monotony and find true, lasting contentment and meaning right where we are?

And how does this perspective shift when we view life not as a gain to be achieved but as a gift to be received?

Matt Chandler points out that all of us subscribe to the philosophy that what will ultimately satisfy us is more of what we already have.

In chapter 1, The preacher told us we are trapped in a monotonous prison where nothing changes, and then we die.

If this cursed world is all there is, then there is no profit to all of our activity because nothing changes under the sun.

This leads to the preacher giving his personal testimony about how he tried everything to find some kind of meaning in this life, but he concluded that nothing works.

The end of chapter 1 sets up the preachers testimony, and now chapter 2 gives the details to his search for meaning.

Like a scientist or a philosopher, he experiments with all kinds of things to see what has lasting value or meaning.

We are going to walk through Chapter 2 together to see the Preachers pursuit of meaning

And the first purist is that of pleasure.

1. The Pursuit of Pleasure

Ecclesiastes 2:1–11 (ESV)

I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man.

So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

Solomon, the wisest and richest king, embarks on a quest, a personal journey diving deep into the sea of hedonism

He is exploring every hidden cavern of delight in a bid to find meaning, to find something that stirs the soul beyond the mundane, beyond the painful toil of existence.

King Solomon, was a man who had everything you could probably have on your wish list and more.

He indulged in pleasures, seeking satisfaction, a pursuit many of us can probably relate to.

But did it bring him joy, or was it an endless chase for wind?

He's trying to find something all of us are searching for - happiness, meaning, a solid ground to stand on.

So, he turns to pleasure, believing perhaps, that in indulging himself, he might find the secret to happiness.

And indulge he did, in epic parties, laughter, wine, and more.

He lived a life most of us might dream of:

he built massive houses, enjoyed the richest foods and wines,

surrounded himself with entertainment, and enjoyed every worldly pleasure available.

But, even with everything in his grasp, he concludes, “This too, is vanity” (2:1).

Why?

Well, despite the laughter, the joy from wine, the pleasure from all the extravagance, Solomon found emptiness.

Vanity…Hevel - Mist/Vapor

He had everything yet felt nothing.

Pleasure, he discovered, was like chasing the wind, something you can’t hold onto, no matter how fast or hard you try.

And it’s here that we find our connection with Solomon.

We often find ourselves chasing things we think will make us happy, right?

A new job, a bigger house, a thrilling adventure, or even just the next big party.

We think, "Ah, THIS will be it. THIS will make me happy.”

But just like Solomon, we find that these pleasures don’t fill our hearts, not truly.

Let’s bring it closer to home. Have you ever thought, “I'll be happy when I get that promotion, when I buy that new car, when I go on that exotic vacation”?

Look it doesn’t have to be even that big. You know what I was sucked into this week? Pen reviews on youtube.

Solomon us trying to tell us pay attention:

I’ve been there, done that. It doesn’t work.

Pleasure, as shiny and promising as it appears, doesn’t hold the key to our true, lasting happiness or fulfillment.

Now, it’s critical for us to understand: pleasure isn’t bad.

Enjoying good food, laughing, celebrating – these are gifts from God.

But the issue surfaces when we make these pleasures our ultimate goal, expecting them to fill the void only God can.

Pleasure can be enjoyed but not relied upon as our source of happiness or contentment.

So, where do we go from here?

It’s essential for us to ask: What are we pursuing? Is it the transient pleasure of this world or something more profound, eternal, and truly satisfying?

Fill in the blank....If I just had ______ I’d be happy.

Is Jesus enough?

In a world that tells us to seek our happiness, to chase what feels good – Solomon, a man who had it all, whispers across time, telling us it's not the answer.

So, if pleasure-seeking isn't the path to true joy and meaning, what is?

What's the alternative? Let’s explore that further together in our next point.

2. The Pursuit of Wisdom

Ecclesiastes 2:12–17 (ESV)

So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.

So if it’s not pleasure, maybe it’s knowledge…maybe it is wisdom.

Solomon, an acclaimed wise king, ventures deep into understanding wisdom, madness, and folly.

Yet, he ends up in a perplexing place, advising his son: "I've tried it all. You won't find meaning trying something I haven’t."

Now Solomon isn’t discarding wisdom.

He appreciates its practicality, comparing it to a light that helps us navigate through life

Stepped on our cat in the night falling down.

Wisdom, helps us avoid stumbling,

It helps us to make better choices by illuminating our paths and potential pitfalls.

However, a dilemma emerges: if wisdom and folly both lead us to the same inevitable end (death),

The preacher asks is pursuing wisdom a futile endeavor?

He wrestles with this,

He contemplates the point of wisdom.

Why be wise if it doesn't alter our universal destiny of becoming "worm food".

I think a compelling counterpoint might be: what about our legacy?

Doesn’t wise living ensure a positive memory of us?

New indy movie - Daniel talking about how much history was destroyed.

Can you imagine building a legacy just for the impulse of one man to erase it.

Monuments crumble and memories fade

Not only that but Ecclesiastes highlights a difficult reality

Wisdom does it always work out for us.

Sometimes, those who break the rules seem to triumph,

This causes a spiritual and philosophical crisis for Solomon,

and for many of us too.

It makes me think of LeGarrett Blount He was so angry about his lack of playing time with the Steelers that he walked off the field before the game was over. The team cut him the next day, and then the Patriots signed him, and he won a Super Bowl ring

This line of thinking brings the Preacher to a point of despair and self-loathing.

Solomon looks at how death and the curse render all of our efforts meaningless and empty, he despairs and hates his life (Look at 2:17 it’s all hevel).

And yet, there is one more stone to turn over to look for hope.

If we do not live on and our memory does not live on, at least one thing does outlast us.

Can we not leave our accumulated wealth as a legacy and an inheritance to our children?

3. The Pursuit of Work

Ecclesiastes 2:18–23 (ESV)

I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.

Imagine tirelessly chasing after success, wealth, and respect in your work, only to realize it all eventually slips through your fingers.

Here is Solomon, a man of grandeur and wisdom, discovering this tough reality,

He confesses that work and amassing possessions is an empty pursuit.

You ever head the saying - you can't take it with you.

Despite being well-acquainted with the futility of accumulating goods we can’t take beyond the grave, how many of us still fall into the trap of overworking to gain more?

The laborer toils, amasses, yet seldom gets to relish the fruits of their work because they’re constantly onto the next task.

Jesus's parable of the rich fool echoes this sentiment.

A wealthy man stores up crops, planning to bask in his plentiful future, only to meet his end prematurely.

His meticulous preparations become meaningless and his amassed wealth is left behind.

This parable reflects the fruitlessness of devoting a life solely to accumulation and self-assurance through possessions.

When it comes to leaving a legacy through wealth, history and statistics prove it’s seldom effective.

In many instances, wealth dilutes across generations, sometimes vanishing entirely by the second generation.

Solomon himself experienced this - his son, Rehoboam, lost the treasured wealth his father had accumulated to a foreign army.

Today we have a problem, workaholism

It wreaks havoc in numerous lives and families, often prioritizing ambition over essential human connections and experiences.

Many, in a bid to “keep up with the Joneses,” find their identity and self-worth entwined with their professional success and societal recognition, resulting in an insatiable thirst for achievement.

In one of the best selling books in the 20th century on business management we read this:

We are frequently asked if it is possible to "have it all" -- a full and satisfying personal life and a full and satisfying, hard-working professional one. Our answer is: No. The price of excellence is time, energy, attention and focus, at the very same time that energy, attention and focus could have gone toward enjoying your daughter's soccer game. Excellence is a high cost item. _Tom Peters

In another book Confessions of an Advertising Man: "If you prefer to spend all your spare time growing roses or playing with your children, I like you better, but do not complain that you are not being promoted fast enough."

Solomon, in his reflective wisdom, brings us to a crucial realization: amid the futile race towards accomplishment, we often neglect the simple joys and divine contentment God offers.

The candid revelations of Ecclesiastes remind us of the hollow and transient nature of life devoid of a meaningful relationship with God.

The true essence and fulfillment in life come not from our earthly achievements but from enjoying the simple things God has given us, where our hearts find genuine, everlasting satisfaction.

4. The Pursuit of Contentment

Ecclesiastes 2:24–26 (ESV)

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

True joy isn’t found in the "more" but in the "enough" - relishing simple pleasures like good food, companionship, and enjoyable work.

To be a believer is to be a stranger and a misfit. We have no permanent roots in this world and no sense of real belonging here. We are traveling through. Or are we? People who follow Jesus often lose sight of the world to come. We become resident Christians rather than nomadic Christians. We become fully integrated in this world rather than viewing ourselves as passing through, and we do this by living as if our greatest treasures are the here and now. We display our sense of permanence by our lifestyle choices: the homes we live in, the money we spend, the churches we build, the investments we pursue, and the priorities we live for. We hold the good things of this world too tightly and lavish our affections on them too freely. We strive and strain for the same kind of gain as everyone else around us. _David Gibson

God made a world filled with delightful things not just for survival but for enjoyment!

He intended our pleasures - like enjoying food or spending time with loved ones - to remind us of His goodness. But our human mistake?

We sometimes seek happiness from these things instead of seeing them as signs pointing us to the true joy found in God.

(Good creature)

Have you ever thought, "If only I had a bit more, I'd be happy"?

It’s a common trap! We might believe that more money or more experiences will give us satisfaction.

But Solomon, who had it all, tells us it just doesn’t work that way.

The problem isn’t wanting to enjoy life - the issue arises when we expect life’s pleasures to fill a God-sized hole in our hearts.

They're not designed to do that.

Real, lasting enjoyment in life doesn’t come from things but from a relationship with our Creator.

The Preacher enlightens us with a profound truth: true satisfaction doesn’t come directly from the objects or experiences (like phones, relationships, homes, or vehicles) that we often chase after.

Rather, it is God who infuses our lives with genuine joy, and He does this by reshaping our perspective about ourselves and our pursuits.

Imagine understanding this: our blessings, whatever form they take, are not stepping stones to something grander.

When we recognize that we aren't destined to conquer the world, control every outcome, or achieve ultimate success through our careers

True joy doesn’t promise anything beyond itself

Moreover, the pathway to this joy is upside down from what we expect – it is found when we cease to hunt it down or clutch at it.

God, in His boundless love, bestows upon us “wisdom, knowledge, and joy” (2:26).

It's incredibly poignant that, following the Preacher’s monumental journey through life in search of happiness, he discerns its true source.

Happiness doesn’t sprout from all of his relentless endeavors but emerges from God’s generous gifting.

Life is gift not gain.

God graciously grants these treasures to those “who please Him.”

But who exactly pleases God? It’s not the people who try to be good on their own.

The Bible tells us it's those who trust and follow Jesus.

And when we’re connected to Jesus, God showers us with gifts and the capacity to enjoy them!

Christianity isn't about avoiding fun or pleasure.

God isn’t a cosmic party pooper! God is the inventor of fun and enjoyment, and He wants us to experience joy.

So, our pleasures - whether it's good food, fun, or friendship - aren’t wrong.

But true, deep, lasting happiness comes from enjoying these things while walking hand-in-hand with God through life.

What are you pursuing is it pleasure, wisdom/knowledge, work?

Are you asking the question, “Why do I feel so discontent and frustrated.”

But your Bible has quite literally collected dust.

You never reach out to friends when you are struggling asking them to pray for you.

You don’t reconcile with your spouse…you just number yourself with the scroll.

You leave for work early and stay late.

You feel distant from the Lord.

Here is what I would say to you

IT IS impossible for a fish to be happy on land.

A fish on land is struggling trying to make it.

A fish on land is going to be squirming and flipping and twisting and jerking and jumping.

It won’t be able to relax because it is not where it was made to live.

That discontentment in you is holy.

You were made for eternity friend.

CONCLUSION

The preachers story is really similar to the prodigal son in Luke 15.

The son in that story partied hard, realized his mistake, and came back home to his father.

But here’s a twist: his return was also marked with a celebration - a big, joyful party!

The key difference is, he only found true happiness in the party at home because he was embraced by his father’s love.

That's like the message Jesus gives us in the Gospel.

When we fully understand and accept the love of Christ, we can find true joy in every aspect of life - be it relationships, work, or our hobbies!

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” _C.S. Lewis

It’s like choosing cheap, fast-food pizza when a lavish dinner at a fancy steakhouse is available - all because we find satisfaction in Jesus!

Our world, where everything eventually turns to dust, leaves us hoping for something more, something eternal.

While great kings like David and Solomon turned to dust, there's one descendant of David who didn’t - Jesus.

He conquered death, he is seated at the right of the father pleading on our behalf right now.

There is this moment in John 4. Jesus crosses a cultural barrier talking to a Samaritan women.

John 4:13–14 (ESV)

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

So, the question is: do you want joy that lasts forever and doesn’t fade?

In Jesus, we're promised not only life but also joy that lasts for eternity.

So, we can cherish every moment of our lives now and look forward to unending joy in the future.

Application Questions:

How can I shift from seeking pleasure as a source of happiness to finding true, lasting joy in Jesus?

Am I leaving behind a legacy that speaks volumes of my deep faith in Christ, or is it predominantly a material inheritance??

How can I shift my identity and worth from being grounded in my work and possessions to being rooted firmly in my relationship with Christ?

In what ways does my pursuit of 'more' hinder my ability to find joy and contentment in 'enough'?