What is Your Life?

INTRODUCTION

Remember that we finished our last message in chapter 10, speaking to the difference between a wise man’s heart and a foolish man's heart. Whether we will do what's right or be the person who lacks good sense.

Now, the writer turns to the sum of our lives and how we choose to live our lives.

James 4:13–17 ESV

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Remember the iconic scene with Rocky Balboa and Glover Lang/Mr. T squaring off in the ring. Mr. T has already beaten rocky once.

Mr. T: “I’m going to bust you up.

Rocky: “Go for it.”

The twist in this scene is that Glover Lang did not have what it took to beat Rocky this time around; however, Rocky was the one who truly went for it and left no regrets on the mat that day.

James reminds us that our lives are but a vapor here one minute and gone the next. The question behind such a statement is how we are implementing God’s perfect plan into what little time we have in this life. The greater travesty is wasting the life that God has given us to live for His greater glory.

Ecclesiastes 11:1–6 ESV

1 Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. 2 Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth. 3 If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will 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 the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything. 6 In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

How are we going to find Success in this Life?

1. Go For It!

vs. 1-6

One of the most frustrating things about this life is that time and chance can overturn our finest plans. This appears to be a paralyzing thought, but it can also be something that spurs us to action. There are some risks in anything that we do in this life. This will be true to one degree or another for the Preacher in this text. He is speaking here of either a business venture or generosity. However, the act of generosity is a running theme throughout scripture.

How often do we hold tight to what we have for fear of losing it or needing it at a later time in our lives?

The Art of Casting

Once we truly cast something out there it is now out of our hands.

*Casting Demands Total Commitment

Surely the writer is telling us to step out in total complete faith, which is similar to Jesus first encounter with Peter, James, and John. The first act that Jesus requires of his disciples is to launch out into the deep and cast their nets for a catch. (Luke 5:4)

Our lives should be lived out with this kind of boldness. In the face of all our doubts and fears, we have a God who is more than able to do all that we ask or imagine according to His riches and glory. (Eph. 3:20)

The Christian should be someone who is constantly taking their boat out into the deep water. We should continually be testing the measure of our faith in God to provide. One of the greatest measures of a believers faith is in their generosity. Tithing and giving an offering is not about the money. It is all about the measure of our faith.

Opening Up Ecclesiastes (Commerce)

George Whitefield often preached outside the courthouse in Philadelphia. On one occasion, a young man, holding a lantern, struggled through the crowd and stood near him. He became so absorbed in what he heard that the lantern fell from his grasp and crashed to the ground, disturbing the preacher and angering the crowd. The boy was acutely embarrassed.

Many years later, during Whitefield’s fifth trip to America, he met a prominent minister. As they talked together the minister asked Whitefield if he remembered the incident. ‘Oh yes,’ said the great preacher, ‘I remember it well, and have often thought I would give anything in my power to know who that little boy was, and what had become of him.’ The minister replied, ‘I am that little boy.’

The bread we cast upon the waters by faith may take a long time returning to us, but when it does—oh what joy!

Commerce is the act of buying, selling, and trading. Anyone in the business of commerce has to be willing to take risks to make a profit. If someone involved in commerce is unwilling to take a risk, then there is little possibility that they will see any profit or reward from their business dealings.

Generosity

So, how we apply verse 2 depends on how we interpret verse 1. It can urge either generosity or caution—or both! It would appear that the bread represents, in a sense, your' goods’ and ‘livelihood’ and has a forward look to it. It is a reward that then requires patience (after many days).

Now you have the picture of the farmer casting as much seed, as widely as possible - therefore, equating to possessions in several ways and with as many people as possible. He is encouraging the businessman not to put all his eggs in one basket. In today’s business world, this is known as diversifying. Therefore, take risks, but spread the risks around.

Note: not knowing what is coming around the corner that might derail our possessions should not stop our generosity. God commands us to trust in Him, not the things we see with our eyes.

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

This is the way that we should respond to a God who commands us to trust him-the labor is ours but the return is the Lords. Jesus echoes this in His Parable of the Sower. (Matthew 13:1-23) “The sower went out to sow some seed, some fell on the path and the birds came to devour it up, other seed fell on the rocky ground, it immediately grew up but because it did not have much depth of soul they died, Other seed fell among the thorns and the thorns grew up and chocked it out, other seed fell on the good soil and produced grain, some one hundred fold, some sixty, and some thirty.

Jesus also reminded his disciples to give and it would be given to them in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your lap. For it is with the measure that you use it that it will be given back to you.

Perhaps the reason you are not experiencing all that the Lord has for you in this life is that you live your life with a closed hand. You hold onto what you have and sparingly share it with others. You can have a closed hand and still let a little seep through at times. However, for the most part, you are stingy with what you have and spend it more on your desires than God’s.

Providence (v. 3)

Why are we to be totally committed to our faith? The simple answer is that God is in control of everything. The writer draws our attention to unexpected events: “If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth’—and unexpected events: ‘And if a tree falls to the south or the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will stay.’

The eyes of a person who truly has faith in God are very different from those of a natural person.

We may all be looking at the same thing, but how each of us interprets the situation is completely different. The natural eye sees only the storm coming and all the pitfalls that could happen along the way. However, the eyes of faith know that even these are products of divine providence. “Not one sparrow falls to the ground without his will.” (Matt. 10:29).

Adventure (v. 4)

We have already read in Eccl. 3:2 that there is a time for everything under heaven, however, the conditions will rarely be ideal. Gazing at the effects of the wind or the darkness of the clouds will not achieve anything worthwhile. We must make the best use of the opportunities that we have been given because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:16

Ephesians 5:16 ESV

16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

We must learn to trust in God’s timing. The life of faith is a continual adventure - taking the opportunities that God presents to us. Our timing may not be right, but God’s is always perfect. (Galatians 4:4).

Trust (v.5-6)

What is the measure of trust in your life? Only the God who created the wind knows when, where, and how it blows. He is also the only one who watches the growth of a child within the mother's womb.

Trust calls us to action (v. 6). Every part of the day, or simply at all times. Timothy was told to preach the word in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). Our commitment must be wholeheartedly given.

Ecclesiastes 11:7–10 ESV

7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. 8 So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes 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 the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. 10 Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

How to Live Longer

An article in National Geographic identified three regions of the world where people have consistently shown longer life spans: Okinawa, Sardinia, and Loma Linda, California. Dan Buettner, a researcher and explorer decided to do a follow-up study to determine if there were more regions to be discovered. His team found an abnormally large number of people living past 90—even into their 100s—on the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica.

Intrigued, Buettner and a large research team made their way to the region to discover what factors aided in living a longer life. They found that longevity is due in part to diet, sun exposure, and source of water, but they also found the following factors to be crucial in the survival of the people:

The people on the Nicoya Peninsula have a strong sense of purpose. They "feel needed and want to contribute to a greater good."

They choose to focus on the family. In this region, people over 100 years of age "tend to live with their families…. Children or grandchildren provide support and a sense of purpose and belonging."

They have strong social networks. Their neighbors visit frequently, and they all seem to know the value of listening, laughing, and appreciating what they have.

They know the value of hard work. They even manage to "find joy in everyday physical chores."

They understand and appreciate their historical roots and spiritual traditions. In essence, they know their story.

2. Enjoy Life as God Intended

Our culture is unique from many cultures in the world in that we do not prize age.

Where many cultures see age as a sign of wisdom and the elderly as those who should be honored, we do everything we can to marginalize the aged.

We do everything we can to ignore and even delay aging in our culture. We ignore it by only putting beautiful and young people in movies, advertisements, and in our magazines. Billions of dollars are spent every year on botox injections and plastic surgery.

Dolly Parton once said, “It cost a fortune to look this cheap.”

We do it on computer enhancements on photo spreads, photo shopping any unseemly blemishes on images. We attempt to ignore aging with medicines, diets, workouts, and creams. If we are young, we ignore that aging is a reality at all. The young usually think they have an endless supply of days ahead of them.

Why do we ignore aging?

We ignore aging because we fear our own death. Aging is a continuing reminder of our mortality, and we desperately try to escape this reality. If you are lucky, you may live to be 100. That is why there is nothing like being 15 again. If this world is all there is to life, then nothing is better than 15.

Life moves at a frenzied pace. You graduate high school, get married, have kids, and start a family, make some dumb choices along the way, and hit your midlife crisis. Then before you know it, you are a senior adult, and the sun is setting on your life.

Throughout Ecclesiastes, Solomon has made the foreboding point that life is fleeting and vain because our soon-coming death renders all our choices meaningless. Our short life gives way to the eternal home of death. Solomon ends his book by answering the questions of how can I find enjoyment in the face of aging and my impending death?

*Death Should render every Action Meaningful.

You are not living your Best Life Now!

We all live with the imminent reality of life's fleeting nature, which should cause us to enjoy the life that God has given us to the fullest. John 10:10

John 10:10 ESV

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Light is sweet, and is pleasing to see the sun means that life is a good gift. The point is that you should rejoice in all of your day’s because they are fleeting.

For the one who has faith in Jesus, “the best is yet to come.”

1). Abundant life does not refer to temporal surplus of health, wealth, and prosperity.

2). The most abundant best life is not merely a better version of yourself as some would want us to believe.

3). The best most abundant life is not defined by what we own: we are warned to take care and be on guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.

A few verses later Jesus identifies what He means by the abundant life by saying in vs. 27-28

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

The abundant life is life that is eternal, life without perishing, life that is protected by the hands of our Savior and Lord. This is one aspect of abundant life.

But just as important, Jesus says that abundant life is one in which we are known by Him and we follow Him. In other words, the abundant life is one not only of greatest quantity (eternal) but also of greatest quality.

So, what Jesus offers in John 10:10 as life is to gain Him as your shepherd. This is a far greater thing than could ever be imagined.

Note: So, whatever this world, whether good or bad, gives to us or takes away from us really does not matter because a life awaits you beyond the present that greatly surpasses this one in every way. For the one who has faith in Jesus, the best is yet to come.

What does it mean to Rejoice in Your Youth?

vs 9-10

What is Youth Known for?

All of us remember our youth and the feeling that will never come back anymore - the feeling that I could last forever, outlast the sea, the earth, and all men; the deceitful feeling that lures us on to joys, to perils, to love, to the vain effort - to death. The invincible youth that lives life to the full and never tires. All of these are good things within their boundaries.

Youth is a time of health, vitality, and optimism about the future. When you are young, you do not count your days. You think you have countless days left to figure things out.

Solomon reminds his readers to rejoice in their youth and to walk in the ways of their hearts and eyes, but he also adds that God will judge in the end.

*Blessings Within Boundaries

What are boundaries?

Boundaries are anything that marks a border. Boundaries are important because they uphold the natural and proper order of things in our lives. In scripture, we have boundaries within human sexuality, we have boundaries within relationships, and we have boundaries in daily Christian living. We read in Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 that for everything, there is a season and a time … all of these are boundaries set up by God in His divine providence.

“Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes.”

The eyes are the instruments of the heart. The OT speaks of visual beauty and teaches that the use of sight may lead to joy, wisdom, delight, or conversely to lust, covetousness, and disdain.

Matthew 6:22 tells us that “the eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.

Joy is to Be Controlled by the Knowledge of God’s Judgment!

The Judgement

The Hebrew word for Judgement is ‘mispat.’ but in this verse the word used is ba-mispat. That does not just mean ‘judgement,’ but ‘into the Judgement.’ It is a specific judgement day that is already set to happen.

The solution for us in light of the day of judgement is to look forward to the day of judgement and rejoice in it. The Psalmist cries out for God’s judgement to come because it is the day of Salvation and righteousness for the believer.

Psalm 96:13 ESV

13 before the Lord, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Noah - was someone who looked forward to the judgement of God. The flood was death for the wicked, but salvation for the righteous.

What does it mean to walk in the ways of your heart?

Surely, the writer does not suggest that we listen to our hearts. Doesn’t Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that the heart is desperately sick above all others.

What the preacher is saying is that when we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, the desires of our hearts change to do what pleases God the most. That means we will love His commandments. We will love to worship Him alone.

Psalm 37:4 ESV

4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

We do not rejoice in the things that the world tells us to rejoice in but rejoice in the things of God. Our rejoicing needs to be redeemed. The judgment of the Lord becomes our joy, and we long for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ without fear. We read how the Apostle John echos these words in Revelation 22:20

Revelation 22:20 ESV

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Ecclesiastes 12:1–7 ESV

1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, 3 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, 4 and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— 5 they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets— 6 before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

3. Remember God Before Age Takes You Away

Age has no discriminator when it comes to us all.

We may try to control a lot of things in this world, but one thing people have yet to control fully is the aging process. You will all get old, gray, and die unless Christ comes back first.

Solomon now commands us to remember our creator in the days of our youth.

The Human body and its Decline

1). The keeper of the house tremble: This is talking about the trembling hands of old age.

2). The strong men are bent: this is speaking of having a bent back.

3). The grinders were used for crushing things. In this case, it is talking about your teeth falling out of your head.

4). Those who look through dim windows: This is talking about our failing eye sight.

5). The sound being low: Our hearing is taken away.

6). The almond white blossom: the withe hair of the old.

7). The grasshopper dragging itself along: our joints and muscles no longer move.

8). The caperberry made useless (caperberry was an aphrodisiac) speaking to the loss of our libido.

9). The silver cord and golden bowl represent precious objects: these become unimportant in old age.

10). The pitcher is used to draw water from the cistern or well: this symbolizes the absolute loss of life.

Finally, in verse 7, the preacher describes death. He says that all that is waiting for us now is our death. Remember your creator before this day comes.

The opposite of remembering is to dismember, to cut something off. The preacher is telling us to join ourselves to the Lord so that we can have reason to rejoice in Him so that we can have reason to rejoice in the day of His judgment so that we can have a reason to rejoice in the day of our old age.

CONCLUSION

The language of this poem is apocalyptic. It uses language often used in passages that describe the end of the world, such as the darkening of the sun and moon (Joel 3:15).

The end of our reading today is abundantly clear that your world personally will end in your death.

We must turn to God before the evil days come.

Death is not the way the world should be. It was not part of God’s original design or plan. Rather, the enemy or intruder has entered the created world.

1st To the younger generation in our congregation today.

We must learn what it means to rejoice in the Lord and delightfully in Him. We must rejoice in the fleeting nature of this world. We must prioritize being present with the body of Christ in worship, even if we are feeling tired, unmotivated or if something else more pressing is leading us away.

J. C. Ryle, the first Anglican bishop of Liverpool, wrote a pamphlet in the 1800s called ‘Thoughts for Young Men.’ And in it he says this: ‘Do not think that you can live the life of a sinner, and then die the death of a saint.

It is a mockery to deal with God and your soul in such a way as that. It is an awful mockery, and you may find to your cost that it cannot be done. Tomorrow is the devil’s day, but today is God’s. Satan does not care how spiritual your intentions are, or how holy your resolutions might be, so long as they are fixed for tomorrow. Do not let the devil mislead you. Answer him, ‘No Satan! It shall be today.’

We Must Redeem our Youth Today

Church, this is why what we do with Journey Kids ministry and how we minister to the youth of our congregation is so important.

2nd to those of us who are not young anymore.

The Bible talks about our responsibility to pour into the younger generation.

Psalm 145:4 ESV

4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.

Titus 2 speaks of the older women discipling younger women, teaching them how to grow in godliness in their relationships and calling.

When we rejoice in the Lord, we receive blessings within the boundaries, joy in His Judgment, and hope in our Old age.

I pray that as long as God has me here as the Pastor of the Journey Church, all generations will declare God's glory and rejoice to be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God.

1 Peter 1:8 ESV

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,

Death has not yet reached out to us: let it rattle its chains at us and stir us into action!