What Makes Life Worth It?

Solomon's problem throughout Ecclesiastes is that He is teetering on the edge of unbelief because of the mess he sees in the world. He observes that living by God’s wisdom does not always work out.

SUFFERING AND SIN

The final verses of chapter 6 are a reflection of Genesis and the fall of humanity.

Main Idea: Wisdom does not always work out immediately in this cursed world, but because of the gospel, wisdom will always win the day.

Ecclesiastes 6:10–12 ESV

10 Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. 11 The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? 12 For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?

The writer repeatedly references Adam and even naming things.

“it is known what man (Adam) is.” Man is but dust.

Man is made from dust and man is heading back to dust because he contended with God and lost.

Recalling the curse and how things were good leads us back for a longing for the promised Savior spoken of in Genesis 3:15.

God has a design for everything in creation, and the wisdom literature calls living according to that design “wisdom.”

God made the world to work a certain way, and you should live your life in that way—you should walk in wisdom (i.e., walk in the right way; Eccl 10:2)—because it will preserve your life. Ecclesiastes 7:12 states that “wisdom is protection … and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.” Living against God’s design is foolishness because it threatens your life, whereas living according to it is wisdom because it leads to an abundant life.

3 Circle Gospel Illustration Method

Circle #1 God’s Perfect Design

The first circle shows that God has a plan and design for everything. God intends that the good gifts He has given us should be used in the way that He chooses in order to flourish.

Therefore, He has a design for sex, food, relationships, work, and yes money. None of these things or good or bad in and of themselves. They can be used for good and Godly ways to benefit us. They can also be used for evil sinful ways that harm us.

Circle #2 Brokenness

This is man’s departure from God’s plan, the Bible calls this sin. Since we are not using the gifts God has given us in the way He intended them to be used it leads us to utter brokenness. For example, God gave us food as a gift to be used for nourishment, pleasure, and fellowship. However, overindulgence in food which the Bible calls gluttony leads to the brokenness of body image or health problems. They same is true for money, if we choose to not use money in a way that God purposes it to be used for like provision, contentment, and generosity we become broken.

We try all kinds of things to get out of our own and way and leave brokenness behind. It is impossible for us to get out of brokenness on our and this is where the good news steps in and brings the solution to the problem.

Circle #3 The Gospel (Jesus)

The third circle shows that Jesus died on the cross, and rose from the dead, taking all of our brokenness and willfully walking away from God’s plan on His shoulders to the way of suffering. “The thief must no longer still kill and destroy.” Now that we are made new in Christ we are now we are now free to recover God’s design and plan for our lives.

In Ecclesiastes 7-11 King Solomon speaks of the unjust nature of things. Chapter 7 is a chapter of compare and contrast.

Ecclesiastes 7:1–2 ESV

1 A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. 2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.

1. What is worthwhile and what is not?

Worthwhile: What has value and importance and what does not.

Christianity does not Seem to Work

I remember reading a story about a pastor who walked away from the faith, Let’s call him Bob.

Bob possibly like many of you grew up in a Christian home and prayed to receive Christ at a young age. Bob filling the call to ministry pursued further training at seminary. He got married to a Christian girl, had several kids and pastored several churches.

However, somehow during his time in seminary and pastoring churches he became an aggressive atheist. The reason he gives for his move to atheist are somewhat complex however, the reason he gave for walking away from the faith are intriguing.

Somehow during his time pastoring he concluded that Christianity does not work because his churches did not grow. The conclusion that he came to in his observation was that the churches that relied on God for growth did not grow. He observed that Churches who rely on God for growth many times were declining. While churches who rely on flashy methods and the business model grew.

Consider these statements from Bob.

“Looking back from my current perspective as an atheist, it is easy to spot a rather glaring problem within Christianity. Churches that relied on God for growth—sharing the gospel, being witnesses, trying to reach communities, but nonetheless trusting that God would bring salvation—these churches were invariably declining churches. They relied on God, and were dying.”

“On the other hand, growing churches were those which relied on flash teams or the latest business models or charismatic leadership. I am left with the clear conclusion that church growth has everything to do with the human component. Rely on magic methods and glittery gimmicks and people will come—just like they come to carnival rides and new restaurants. Rely on God to bring new fruit to a church and that church will soon wither away. People, not God, grow a church.…”

“I am still convinced of that last point. There is perhaps no greater evidence for atheism than the growth practices of today’s large churches. Consider this dichotomy: churches that are growing do so through human efforts and human means, while churches trusting in God to bring revival and growth are in various stages of decline. Growing churches are very much centered on human effort and demonstrate clearly the power of charisma and community—the same characteristics one can find in any successful business endeavor without any need for the hand of God. Trust in God, and a church dies. Rely on the work of man, and a church just might make it.”

Second Reason for turn to Atheism

Bob’s turning to atheism was aided by the dilemma of pain and suffering in the world.

When he saw reports of terrorist attacks and mass deaths many of whom would be immediately ushered into hell. He concluded that there could not be a loving just God with hundreds of people being poisoned while sleeping in their beds then waking up in Hell.

Sadly while Bob’s wife continues to try to raise their kids to love and follow God Bob continues to try and persuade others to walk away from God who he contends is not there anyway.

Solomon seems to take on the role of the skeptic to tackle questions few are willing to ask.

*The day of your Death is more worthwhile (better) than the Day of your Birth.

(Death Is Better than Birth (v. 1)

The day of our death has more to teach us than the day of our Birth.

As a man’s inner character is far better than any outward fragrance, so his funeral and not his birthday party will reveal his true value.

vs. 8 “Better is the end of things than it’s beginning.”

Solomon is pointing to the reality that at our birth we are brought into a world of sin and wickedness; at death we are delivered from it.

This appears to be a paradoxical statement. At birth the feeling in the room is filled with excitement and great anticipation. It is no time for dwelling on the brevity of life or it’s limitations; we let our minds run wild and free with great hope and elation.

1 Corinthians 15:54–56 ESV

54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

My mom went home to be with Lord on Easter Sunday afternoon. I found out as I was driving home to be with mom and dad. I pulled over on the side of the road just outside Garden City to gather my thoughts. The more I began to think about mom’s passing even in my sorrow a sense of joy and excitement began to wash over me. I felt a tear come to my eyes however, it was more tears of joy than tears of sorrow and pain. All I could imagine at that moment in time was mom sitting at the foot of the throne of God in complete and joy.

As I sat talking to my dad, even though he is sad and will miss mom here on this earth there is a sense of celebration and release from the anxiety and pain of this world. We have watched mom go through inexpressible suffering in this life. However, now she is experiencing inexpressible joy that no eye has seen or ear has heard this side of heaven.

As dad wrote my mom’s obituary he focused on the result of her life that was all leading up to the end when she would enter the destined eternal glory of God and meet her Savior face to face.

HOW DO YOU TALK ABOUT THE DAY OF YOUR DEATH?

One of the greatest fears people still have in the world to day is death. Why is this so?

Remember that Paul exclaimed in Philippians 1 that for him to live is Christ but to die is great gain. Paul says that it is better for you if I remain on the earth but it is better for me that I have the day of my death and enter the glory of God.

Psalm 90 ESV

A Prayer of Moses, the man of God. 1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 3 You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!” 4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. 5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: 6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. 7 For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. 9 For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. 10 The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. 11 Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? 12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. 13 Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. 16 Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. 17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

There is a call here to number our days until the day of our death. You probably would not think of looking forward to the day of your funeral service.

Note: The writer is not concluding that your life does not have a purpose or a reason for your birth.

Remember that in Ecclesiastes 3 Solomon reminds us that there is a time and place for everything under heaven.

However, it is more necessary that we live our life in anticipation of the day of our death.

What “Bob” failed to understand is that the sorrow and suffering in this life are meant to remind us that God has a design and plan for everything existing and we are not God.

Fortunately Solomon’s conclusion that everything in this life is meaningless instead of driving him away from God drives him closer to God.

These struggles happen not to cause us to run away from God but run towards God.

Ecclesiastes 7:3–4 ESV

3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. 4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

*Mourning and Sorrow are more worthwhile (better) than having a good laugh.

Mirth: amusement, especially as expressed in laughter.

Death brings us to reflect on our lives.

In Bible times people would hire professional mourners. The mourners job was to make sure that they mourned and wept to ensure that there was not a lull in the appropriate mourning for the death.

Luke 23:28 Jesus said:

But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

Jesus does not want us to feel sorry for Him, but to believe on Him—to believe that He suffered for our sins; to believe the substitutionary death of the Savor. And so, He says, “Weep not for me.” The cross is not a mistake. The cross is not something to weep about. Jesus chose the cross.

Do we mourn of the sinfulness of this world and those who will not be celebrating the day of their death but living only for the day of their birth?

Ecclesiastes 7:5–6 ESV

5 It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. 6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity.

*It is more worthwhile to listen to people who tell you the truth than what you want to hear.

Dever book “The Ungodly”

“It is better to listen to rebuke from a wise person than to listen to the song of fools.” We should not be deceived by flattery, but instead we should appreciate hard truths (Dever, “The Ungodly”).

Do not gain counsel from people who simply tell you what you want to hear; listen to those who will tell you the truth even when it is difficult, even when it hurts.

Verses 1-6 can be summed up as “You might as Well face the Facts.”

Each of these first 6 verses lead us to consider what is truly worthwhile in this life and what is not.

2. How do we make sense of the Life we are called to Live?

Ecclesiastes 7:7–21 ESV

7 Surely oppression drives the wise into madness, and a bribe corrupts the heart. 8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 9 Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools. 10 Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. 11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance, an advantage to those who see the sun. 12 For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it. 13 Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked? 14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him. 15 In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. 16 Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them. 19 Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. 20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. 21 Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you.

According to the writer there are certainly advantages of trying to discern or understand life.

Wisdom preserves the life of the one who has it.

Ecclesiastes continues to write over the futility and meaningless of this worldly earthly existence.

verse 20 “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.”

*Sin Makes our Life Broken and Meaningless

BROKENNESS: Something is broken when it does not work right or does not work as it’s creator intended to work.

Ecclesiastes makes something abundantly clear: all of humanity—including you—has sinned and departed from God’s wise design for the world. When we rebel against our design, we end up broken. We know this to be true experientially.

After all, anytime you attempt to use something in a way that its designer did not intend for it to be used, it gets broken or does not work.

The Model Rocket Catastrophe

My dad and I had built several model rockets when I was a kid. We had recently mad a trip to visit NASA in Houston where I began my fascination with space and air travel.

I was so excited to shoot off my first rocket into space. My dad had told me that we could shoot it off as soon as he got home. My mom had gone to the grocery store and I was waiting for what seemed like forever to shoot of my rocket.

I had my rocket set up on the blast off pad in our living room. I saw a button that said push to test. I am not really sure what was going through my head as my finger moved closer to the test for ignition button.

Soon smoke started pouring out of the afterburners and the countdown to lift off began, the rocket shot up into the air, hit the ceiling, skidded across the living room carpet and it the front door. When my mom walked in the door the house was filled with smoke and their was a nice burn mark down the carpet.

The rocket was doing what it was intended or created to do, however, the operator was not following the directions of its appropriate use, which was outside where the rocket could fly into the high and free.

This is what sin does to mankind it breaks what God intended for Good.

*God makes our life Righteous but We have Broken what God intended for Good.

Ecclesiastes 7:21–29 ESV

21 Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. 22 Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others. 23 All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. 24 That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out? 25 I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. 26 And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. 27 Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— 28 which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. 29 See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

God made Adam perfect in the beginning, but Adam pursued his own way rather than God’s way. We have all joined our first parent in that rebellion, and thus we have all experienced brokenness!

It is impossible for us to make sense of life until we come to grips just how broken we really are.

Not only does Ecclesiastes 7:29 point to the brokenness but it also echos back to the original sin in the fall.

Sometimes we are broken simply because we live in a broken world as a result of the fall. God made the world as a response to Adam’s sin.

Ecclesiastes 7:13 ESV

13 Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?

Sin and brokenness are equal opportunity destroyers.

Sometimes sin destroys as a result of what we have done. For example, if you drive drunk and hurt someone that is on you. If you cheat on your wife, and loose your family that is on you.

Sometimes the brokenness of sin is due to sin done against us. For example, if you are abused that is due to sin done against you.

Sometimes sin is simply due to the sin of Adam and that we now live in a broken world.

Ecclesiastes 7-11 continue to point to the fact that things do not always work out as we thing that they should work.

Ecclesiastes 7:15 ESV

15 In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing.

Note: This was the issue that “Bob” the pastor continued to struggle with in his ministry.

The end of chapter 7 gives us a clearer picture into human nature than any experience of life could ever give us.

Our ability to do anything righteous appears to be clouded by our own ability to attempt to do anything righteous apart from God.

Our clouding of Morality.

Our refusal to follow the straight way.

CONCLUSION

The Ending Is More Important Than the Beginning

In their book The Power of Moments, Chip and Dan Heath describe an experiment in which participants underwent three painful trials.

In the first, they submerged a hand for 60 seconds in a bucket filled with frigid, 57-degree water.

In the second trial, the time was increased by 30 seconds. For the first 60 seconds, the water was still 57-degrees. But in the final 30 seconds, it was raised to 59-degrees. In neither trial were participants told how long the experiment would last.

Before their third and final bucket, they were asked if they'd prefer to repeat the first or second experiment. A whopping 69% chose the longer trial! Think about that for a moment. In both of the first two trials, their hand was placed in frigid water. The second trial was 30 seconds longer and only slightly less uncomfortable in the end. Yet, more than two out of three people asked to repeat the second trial. Why?

Psychologists tell us it's because when people assess an experience, based on its best or worst part (that is, the peak) and the ending. They call it the "peak-end rule."

Whether you like it or not, people will tend to remember you for when you were at your best, or worst, and for the way you were in the end. It's impossible for any of us to always be at our best. Our worst selves will sometimes slip out no matter how hard we try to hide them.

But the ending is something we can better control. Knowing that it's the end, we can devote more time and attention to getting it right and make it better than our birth.

Right now your life may appear average by most standards with all of its high’s and low’s. But if you find yourself focusing more on the end of your life it will change every encounter you have in this life.

There are no second chances in this life, but it does matter how you end this current existence called life.

Paul confesses in his letter of 2 Timothy 4:7-8 that he has “fought the good fight, and run the good race, and now their is laid up for him a crown of righteousness.”

We know that to make sense of this life requires that we understand who we are and who God is.

We are broken people who have broken what God made righteous.

God is in control of all things even the day of our death and we are spending the days in this messed up world preparing for the day of our end.

“How are you doing at Preparing for the day of your End?”

“Can you truly say that the day of your death will be better than the day of your Birth.”

Our wisdom will never win the day in the end, however, God’s wisdom will always win the day in the end.