Seize the Day
Notes
Transcript
Ecclesiastes, Part 15, “Seize the Day” 11:7-12:8
Opening Illustration: Made
the mistake one night of realizing how quickly I’m back in bed.
That was over 25 years ago!
Time really does fly!
This message today is mainly for
the young, but those of every age who still have air in their lungs need to
heart it still.
7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasing for the eyes to see the sun. 8 Indeed, if someone lives many years, let him rejoice in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, since they will be many. All that comes is futile. 9 Rejoice, young person, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. And walk in the ways of your heart and in the desire of your eyes; but know that for all of these things God will bring you to judgment. 10 Remove sorrow from your heart, and put away pain from your flesh, because youth and the prime of life are fleeting.
is sweet and it is good to be
alive. Appreciate every day.
ILLUS:
I have a ton of pics that involve the sun – mainly sunrise and sunset. The same
setting can look very different from sunrise, to high noon, to sunset, and it
changes from minute-to-minute.
Dawn - slight glow over the
landscape with little detail. Clouds are pink against a light blue
Daybreak – streaks of bright light
that casts shadows and illuminate certain parts of the landscape.
Noon – everything is seen
clearly.
Sunset – the sky and clouds are
illuminated in orange, yellow, and gold.
Dusk – soft, ghostly landscape
There is beauty in every phase of
the sun throughout the day. The teacher wants us to see life in this way, as
well!
It may not be hard to imagine
loving every part of a sunny day, but what about when it’s cloudy?
I remember the first time I flew
in stormy weather. We took off in the rain and climbed through the gray sky and
into the thick clouds. When we reached the top, the most brilliant sunlight overwhelmed
the interior of the plain and the most amazing blue sky left me dazzled.
When it’s raining, it’s hard to
remember the sun is still shining, but it is.
(8a)
This is a call to remember
that in all kinds of weather of life, the sun still shines. God is always on
His throne, and there is hope.
If we understand the gospel
and put our hope in Christ, we have reason to rejoice always.
Paul understood this:
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things. 9 Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
It’s important we understand
this, too and don’t take life for granted! Don’t waste it! It won’t last and it
goes by really quickly. It’s a vapor.
I remember
my Dad saying to me toward the end of his life: “It doesn’t seem like I should
be this old.”
8blet him remember the days
of darkness, since they will be many. All that comes is futile.
Live life soberly (not “sadly”,
but reflective), understanding that life is short and death (days of
darkness) is inevitable. All that comes (under the sun) is futile.
4 “Lord, make me aware of my end and the number of my days so that I will know how short-lived I am. 5 In fact, you have made my days just inches long, and my life span is as nothing to you. Yes, every human being stands as only a vapor. Selah
15 As for man, his days are like grass—he blooms like a flower of the field; 16 when the wind passes over it, it vanishes, and its place is no longer known.
We spend too much of our short
lives wishing it away rather than taking advantage of the opportunities we
have:
·
Discounting or wasting today for what might
come tomorrow.
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.
o
“I’m just killing time until…”.
o
“Can’t wait until Friday!”
o
“Counting the days until…”
The
teacher says “Carpe Diem”
(9)
What it’s NOT saying: “Follow
your heart” as in do whatever brings you pleasure; let your heart/emotions be
the guide of your decisions/actions.
Your emotions are real
but not to be trusted.
7 The person who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed. 8 He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit. 9 The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it? 10 I, the Lord, examine the mind, I test the heart to give to each according to his way, according to what his actions deserve.
How could we then interpret
this text in a Christocentric (Christ-focused; ie, in light of Christ) way?
A primary aspect of the New Covenant
that God established through Christ is that we would be given a NEW HEART.
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
14 For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons.
So, we read this instruction of
the teacher in light of what was revealed later through the Word of God so that
we can understand the heart of God most clearly.
“Walk in the way of your NEW
heart…”
Interpret and judge the things
you see with your eyes to do through the lens of the Word of God so that you
are chasing after the things that will bring you the most joy!
4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
3 Commit your activities to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
9 A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.
We know this is what the teacher
means because he then says, “but know that for all of these things God will bring you to judgment.”
With this understanding, we can take the teacher’s instruction
to enjoy the things and opportunities that God has before your eyes now.
·
Enjoy your work and work hard, but don’t
exchange your work for living other parts of life now.
·
Develop deep friendships.
·
Get out and see the world.
·
Take advantage of opportunities you have while
you’re young.
·
Enjoy the stage of life you’re in right now.
Pursue all the great things
that God has for you according to who you are as a child of God.
It means don’t live a life
of license while enjoying the freedom God has given you.
That’s what verse 10 is about:
(10) Remove
sorrow from your heart, and put away pain from your flesh, because youth and
the prime of life are fleeting.
Word for sorrow is literally “anger/vexation”
from your heart and pain (literally evil, wickedness, depravity) from your
flesh.
God doesn’t want us to waste precious,
limited time on looking for joy in things that will only steal it and lead to
judgment.
22 Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
This
reminds me of C.S. Lewis’ famous quote from The Weight of Glory:
"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."
Lewis helps us understand that
it’s more than just removing things from our lives. It’s replacing them with the
“holiday at the sea.”
If we reflect on life under
the sun before the Fall, God made all things for the enjoyment of the man and
woman.
On this side of both the fall and
the resurrection, we find joy, not just in the blessings of God but also
through being used by God in His work of redemption: (His
work is redemption of the heart, but we get to be a part of that work through
the Holy Spirit in us and it produces great joy!)
·
In the lives of others
·
time
·
money
·
creation
·
etc.
This is our great privilege and
our great responsibility, especially when we’re young and able to do and
experience so much more!
As one scholar
noted,
This theme of judgment is designed not to temper … [his] command to enjoy life but to underscore and
direct it.”30 For, according to the Teacher, enjoyment is a gift of God. Human beings are supposed to enjoy life to the full because that is their divinely
assigned portion, and God calls one into account for failure to enjoy. The Teacher is saying that God will judge us also to see whether or not we have sufficiently enjoyed his gifts.
If you remember the Parable of
the Talents from last week, the point Jesus was making was more than just
avoid doing evil things with the talent, but to do positive things through investing
them.
The Teacher’s Conclusion:
Ecclesiastes 12:1 – So remember your Creator in the days of
your youth before old age sets in and death brings an end to the opportunities
God has for you now.
1 So remember your Creator in the days of your youth: Before the days of adversity come, and the years approach when you will say, “I have no delight in them”;
Before the days of adversity come, and the years approach when you will say, “I have no delight in them”;
2 before the sun and the light are darkened, and the moon and the stars, and the clouds return after[a] the rain; 3 on the day when the guardians of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, the women who grind cease because they are few, and the ones who watch through the windows see dimly,
4 the doors
at the street are shut
while the sound of the mill fades;
when one rises at the sound of a bird,
and all the daughters of song grow faint.
5 Also, they
are afraid of heights and dangers on the road;
the almond tree blossoms,
the grasshopper loses its spring,[b]
and the caper berry has no effect;
for man is headed to his eternal home,
and mourners will walk around in the street;
6 before the
silver cord is snapped,[c]
and the gold bowl is broken,
and the jar is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel is broken into the well;
7 and the
dust returns to the earth as it once was,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 “Absolute
futility,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile.” (passing
like a vapor)
