Living And Dying

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 61

Psalm 61 ESV

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David. Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations! May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him! So will I ever sing praises to your name, as I perform my vows day after day.

Scripture Reading: James 1:9-11

James 1:9–11 ESV

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

Sermon

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Well, good morning church. I was glad when they said to me, let us go and Worship in the house of the Lord. Well, this morning, we will be looking at Ecclesiastes chapter 11, verse 7. All the way to chapter 12 verse 8. And in many ways this passage marks the end of Ecclesiastes.

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Not oh we're getting close to the end. But these will be the last words that Solomon will write. Next week we'll have our last sermon in this series. The end of chapter 12 is an epilogue an editor at some point, gave us some more information about Solomon's life. But Solomon's words to us, They will end today.

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And so, what will Solomon be saying to us? Well, the difficulty here is A lot of the same stuff he's already been showing us. By way of example. And this is what we'll talk about on Thursday Grace group, but just to, to show you what's going on here. Ecclesiastes chapter 1 verse 2.

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That was the beginning of the year. We covered this one. Vanity of vanities, says the preacher vanity of vanities. Is Vanity. Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verse 8. Vanity of vanities, says the preacher. Is Vanity, Solomon started with vanity. He will end here today with vanity and everything in the middle.

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Well, it was a lot of vanity. And so, what will Solomon be showing us today? In a lot of ways, he'll be showing us. A lot of the same. That life isn't as cut and dry. As we want it to be, I titled this sermon life and death. I toyed with other names, living and dying because really he's going to cover all of our life.

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In the real world life in the real world living life, this is the title of our series in a broken world, all of that and more Is what Solomon will cover for us today. Let's start by reading this passage Light is sweet. And it is pleasant for eyes to see the So, if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all But let him remember that.

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The days of Darkness will be many, all that comes is Vanity. 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, That for all these things, God will bring you into judgment.

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Remove vexation from your heart and put away pain from your body for Youth in the dawn of Life are vanity. 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.

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Before the Sun and the light, and the moon, and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return, after the rain 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 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.

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They are also afraid of what they are afraid. Also of what is high and Terrors are in the way. The almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags itself along and desire fails because man is going to his eternal home. And the mourners go about the streets. Before the Silver Court is snapped, the Golden Bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain.

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Or the wheel is broken and the cysts turn and the dust returns to the Earth as it was. And the spirit returns to God, who gave it? Vanity of vanity, says the preacher. His vanity. These are the words of the Lord for us this morning. Let's open with the word of prayer.

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Our Father in heaven. We do thank you for today. And we thank you for your Sovereign hand in control of all things, we praise you. For you are the God. Who knows the end from the beginning. Who rules and Reigns. And so we humbly come before you asking that you would meet with us.

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Open our eyes to see what you have done. Give us ears to hear all that you have said. Stir our affections towards you. I pray that as we open your word you would cause us to be good soil. Pray that your word would take root. Help us to glory in you but ultimately to glory in our Lord and Savior.

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Jesus Christ. For it's in his name that we pray. Amen. And amen.

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Solomon ends with what is in many ways. The most beautiful thing that he wrote in all of Ecclesiastes, in my estimation, He starts by telling us light is sweet and it is Pleasant for eyes to see the sun. This is a rather interesting. Thought he starts with If we remember in Ecclesiastes, he's been telling us the vanity and the pain and the difficulty of life, particularly life under the sun and that's been Solomon's phrase to let us know. He's dealing with life here in a broken Fallen World. And that life's been difficult and vain and often pointless. And

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Painful. But yet here, Light is sweet, and it's Pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. The Sun that we are under the sun. You know, in the summer, in New Mexico beats down. It's still Pleasant for our eyes to see the sun. It's still good to go. Get some vitamin D. These are still good things. Why? Because life is not as cut and dry as well. This life is painful difficult and I hate it and this one isn't so I like it. Life is a mixture of the good and the bad and here life under the sun. Ultimately, it is sweet.

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It's sweet. But Solomon will also be real. And so for the rest of the passage, he will talk about both the pleasantness of life, but also the real world that, that pleasantness comes to Until he starts by exhorting us to have. But he tempers, that joy. With reality. Verse 8. So if a person lives many years Let him rejoice in them all. If you grow to be old in age rejoice in that, And we could look to a whole bunch of other scriptures that say this same sort of thing that that to get on in years. That old age is a sign of blessing from God. He allows Those whom he loves to live, good old age, it is good to see our children grow up to see grandchildren, come to see, great grandchildren. Come it is good to see the fruit of our labor. If you live, many years rejoice in them all

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All of them. Every single one. Even the difficulty. As you're rejoicing in all their years, remember this? The days of darkness. Will be many. There's, With reality. Rejoice in your ears as the sun hits, your eyes rejoice in the years that you have been granted here on this Earth. It is good. It is right to have joy in the time. God has given you here on Earth. But remember this Life on Earth is hard. That's reality.

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And it's not just hard for a tiny little bit. The days of Darkness will be many, there will be much in your life to mourn. There will be much in your life. That is painful and difficult. Solomon does not shy from this fact scripture doesn't shy from this fact, this is, but this is what makes Ecclesiastes beautiful. Have joy even in the midst of. In spite of through the days of darkness, though, they will be many still have joy. This is the life that is set before us. We've been calling this series life in a broken World. How do we live life in a broken world have joy? But it's broken have joy, but it hurts have joy.

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Do not let the Brokenness. The days of Darkness. Do not let them Cloud your joy. Instead.

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Trust in the Lord. We're back here. The message that we've been harping on over and over and over and over and over again in Ecclesiastes. Life is vain. So, don't seek the the things of this world seek God. God's in control of all things. Not you so trust in him. You don't know. This has been the last portion of Ecclesiastes. There are a ton of things, you don't know. So stop trying and trust in God. Life is difficult. That's reality, have joy. As you get to your old age, Rejoice in those years knowing that the days of Darkness will still be many.

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Trust in him. We start with joy and reality. But there's a more particular painful reality. We get to he also encourages us to have joy but he he shades that. With thoughts of judgment. Verse 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.

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Verse 8, spoke of the old man. If a person lives many years let him rejoice in them but here Solomon tells you to rejoice in your youth. For those of you that are younger, for those of you that still have many years to look forward to whose knees don't crack every time you stand up who don't injure yourself writing papers and need to go get your meniscus fixed because you were sitting at your desk that happens to people as they get older. Before your metabolism slows down before everything hurts, when you wake up in the morning Rejoice in the days of your youth thesis.

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Let your heart cheer you. Enjoy that time. Your only young ones? Rejoice in them. Walk in the ways of your heart. Those things that bring you Joy seek them out.

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I remember years ago, This is a a story that will stick with me forever, Desiree. And I we're doing laundry. We were at the laundromat.

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I'm guilty as charged on this one. I like to eavesdrop if people are talking around me and they're not trying to be quiet. I like to listen to their conversation, why? I just think it's interesting. And all over to our side at the laundromat. Was a mother and a son. And they were discussing this, this young man was obviously about to graduate. From high school. And they were discussing college and and what he should study in college. And I'll remember this conversation. I mean, even part of this conversation, I remember it until the day I die. Probably.

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The conversation went like this. You should do this major. Because it makes a lot of money. Or or you could do this one. Because this one you'll get a job that pays. Well, if you go here, Or you could also select this major because I know that this person's hiring and you can get a good job. Every decision, every exhortation to this. Young man was, how can you make money? And my heart broke for him. Because never once in the conversation was, What brings you Joy? What passion do you have in your heart? And my heart broke for him for a couple ways one. I wish someone would have that conversation but ultimately

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We live in a world that often, you can't follow your heart. Maybe you want to be a philosophy. Major good luck. Finding a job after you do that.

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And so that's the world we live in. But Solomon encourages, you he is exhorting us. Walk in the ways of your heart. What passions what things stir your emotions? What thoughts has God put in your heart for you to seek after seek? After those Serve him in those. But know this, Everything. We do everything. We say. Every step we take, God will judge Follow your heart. So here becomes the exhortation of Solomon. Follow your heart. Do that, which brings pleasure. Cheer in the days of your Youth and while you are young seek after those things that you can

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But know this God will judge all things. So, maybe Use wisdom. As you seek after those things. Don't be sinful. Don't put off what God has called you to. Allow those to be the things that stir in your heart. You can have joy, but know this, God sees. And God will judge all things.

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How do we live life in a broken world? As cliche. As this may sound. Follow your heart. But, Follow your heart, knowing God is The Sovereign King of Again, this has been the point of Ecclesiastes. God knows all things, sees all things and is control of all things, so maybe don't try to be God of your own life. Serve him instead. And then Solomon ends this little portion. With one more exhortation this time by giving us some truth. As always in Ecclesiastes, it's painful truth. Here's the exhortation verse 10, remove vexation from your heart and put away pain from your body.

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There's a little note, if you have the ESV translation, They translate the the footnote translation I think is the more right? One here, it says, remove vexation from your heart and put away evil from your body. I think this gets to the heart of what Solomon's saying. Here's your exhortation, it goes along the lines of what he said before, follow your heart, but Check your heart. Because there are things in your heart. That may lead you afoul of what God has called you to put those away. Those things that trouble, those things that bring trial, we could summarize this sin.

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Put it away. Don't allow your body to fall into evil. Do not go around sinning. As you young man, pursue those things that bring joy to your heart seek that, which is pleasing to God, do not sin.

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Because here's the truth. Youth and the dawn of Life are vanity. To bring this full circle. The old man should rejoice in his many years and the young man should rejoice in his youth. But as the old man rejoices in his many years, part of that reminds him, that we are not given many years on Earth and young man as you rejoice in your youth. May you remember that youth quickly Fades

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So how we live in this broken world, then becomes what's most important? How we please God how we serve God. Those decisions that we make by which we follow him and serve him and are devoted to him and love him. Those become most important.

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The exhortation is to live a holy life because here's the truth. We are all marching towards death, all of us. It is around the corner for us. All Our life is, but a vapor a Mist quickly fading, it is Solomon has said over and over and over again. We ended our passage today with it. It is Vanity. It's a vapor, a Mist that is quickly. Fading So, how we live matters? So remove vexation from your heart, put away that evil which seeks to besiege your body, put it away. The New Testament says the same thing therefore since we are surrounded by so great. A cloud of witnesses, let us cast aside the sin that so easily entangles.

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Put away evil from your body.

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Paul says, I I discipline my body so that I myself may not be disqualified from the gospel that I preach. Put it away. This is the exhortation of Solomon as we get to the end of Ecclesiastes. If we've learned nothing from his message to us, may, we learn this How we live in this vain World matters. Therefore, we ought to please God.

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But then Solomon ends when I said he ended with the most beautiful portion, it's this poem. 12. Chapter 12 1-8 here.

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It's a beautiful picture. What's it a picture of? Let's read it again. Remember also your creator in the days of your youth before the evil days come and the years draw near of, which you say, I have no pleasure in them.

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Was Solomon saying here is Don't live your life, how you want? And then when things start to go bad cry out to God. Saying cry out to God. And from the beginning, Before you get old before things fall apart before you face some trial, Calamity disaster. That is so great and so painful. That as you look at it, you say there's no good in my life anymore, there's nothing good before you get to that point rejoice in the Lord. That point may be coming for all of us. Rejoice in your creator. And then he begins to describe these final days.

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In verse 2, the Sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened clouds return. It's a a visual picture of Darkness setting in In the days, when the keepers of the House, tremble, strong men are bent the grinder. Cease because they are few and those who look through windows are dimmed. What's he saying? It's a bad, a calamitous day is happening. Some horrible. Terrible thing is happening such that the strongest man realizes he can't stand. There's no work to be done. The Grinders have nothing to do those who look longfully out of the window for some hope. For some person walking down the street to bring them Joy. Their eyes are dimmed and they realize they have nothing to look forward to.

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The doors on. The street are shut verse 4 continues. The sound of the grinding is low when one Rises up at the sound of the bird and all the daughters of song are brought low? There's no rejoicing. There's no singing. You think you hear a bird and you think, maybe I'll go out and see one bit of Joy when I see this bird. But yet there's no one singing, there's no one rejoicing why they are afraid of what is high and Terrors are on the way. The skies are dark and the clouds are rolling in. There's nothing to look forward to but what is happening?

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The almond tree blossoms. The grasshopper drags itself along in desire. Fails.

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Solomon is describing, very painful, difficult day. What has happened to cause this?

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Verse 5, because Man is going to his eternal home. And the mourners go about the streets. The silver cord is snapped, the Golden Bowl is broken. The pitcher is shattered at the fountain and the wheel is broken at the cistern.

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Solomon. Here is speaking of mourning.

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Morning. Because death comes. This is the morning that we all face when those we know and love have passed away.

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One of the difficulties. Of getting older.

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It's the older we get. The more funerals. We? Just this earlier, this year, I went to my grandfather's funeral. And many people could not come to his funeral. Because he lived to be 90. And that means a lot of people that would go to his couldn't, come because he went to theirs. As we get older, the people around us die. As we get older, we've lived more of this difficult life. We've been through more of the to go back. What we, what we said earlier. The days of darkness, that have come I remember when I was in college.

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And I heard news that one of my best friends in high school had died in a car wreck, it was the closest I'd ever been to someone dying. Like in age and in time, It was difficult. And then he get older. And more tragedies strike people around you. So, we mourn. And here's the picture. The silver cord is snapped. The Golden Bowl is broken. The pitcher is shattered at the fountain. The wheel is broken in the cistern. Nothing is fixed. Everything's broken. Nothing's working. That's the life. We live in man is going to his eternal home, he's died.

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And the dust returns to the Earth as it was, here we are the message of Ecclesiastes in a lot of ways ashes to ashes and dust to dust.

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But he gives this morning with

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Dust returns to the Earth as it was, and The spirit returns to God. Who gave it? That's our hope.

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Our hope is, That God will not abandon us to this world. Our hope is that there is more to this world than this world. Our hope is

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That God. Will save. And Deliver Us. That's our hope.

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As we think on this hope, I want to leave you with some exhortations. From the book of Ecclesiastes.

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Life is difficult. Never once in this book has Solomon shied away from that thought.

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Life's also beautiful. Light is sweet. God is good.

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He gives us those things we can rejoice in For some of us for some of us, it's many years rejoice in that for some of us. It's our youth though, that's fading Rejoice in that There's an interesting dichotomy, if we remember back. Solomon earlier. In chapter 7. Verse 10 Solomon said, say not, why were the former days better than these? We remember back, we preached through that. I said, We shouldn't long for the good old days. We shouldn't look around and be like, oh, this world's awful. I wish things were the way they used to be, but here's Solomon's saying,

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It's okay to remember the good things God gave you And rejoice in them.

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But know this,

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This life isn't all we have. Life under the sun is not all we have. And ultimately, our only true If your hope is in this world, the days of Darkness will be many. If your hope is in the joy, you have on this world know that judgment is coming. If your hope is in the things that are here on this world, remember this, the Youth and the dawn of life are vanity, if your hope is in this world know that death comes for us all but If your hope is in God and the joy that he gives, then you can have this. Hope the spirit will return to the

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Who gave it? And so we can like Paul would to the letter of the to the church in Corinth. Say this light momentary Affliction is not worth comparing to the weight of Glory. Where's Paul would write to the church? The Thessalonian church? We do not mourn. Like those who have no hope. For we know that Jesus will return. And when he does those who have already fallen asleep, those who are already dead in the twinkle of an eye, will be risen again. And then we will meet them given new bodies where we will glory forever. The spirit will return to the God who gave us, that is the hope.

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Ultimately, Our Hope is this, that he who began a good work in, you will bring it about to completion at the day of our Lord. Jesus Christ, ultimately. Our. Is this? So the God of Peace himself will sanctify, you completely. And your whole spirit and soul and body. When Solomon looks, he says the body's wasting away, but the spirit goes with God, and Paul, in his new testament perspectives gives us the whole truth that yes, this body is wasting away but we will be given a new body and so your whole spirit and soul and body will be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord. Jesus Christ. How do I know this? Because he who calls you is faithful

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He will surely do it that. Is our hope that is how we live life in a broken world. That's what we long for and that is what we look to. Let's pray.