Jack and Diane (The conclusion)
Notes
Transcript
Title: Jack and Diane
Text: Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:14
D.T To live under the sun, we must seek wisdom beyond the sun.
Introduction: This week we are concluding our series “Extreme faith makeover.” We’ve spent the last several weeks learning about what the book of Ecclesiastes teaches us about how we should look at our lives, careers and families. Since the beginning we said Ecclesiastes provides a makeover on how we evaluate our lives, careers and families. From the beginning we said Ecclesiastes was a book about tensile strength. It’s really easy to place a heavy burden and weight on things in our lives that don’t have the tensile strength to provide the needed support. Ecclesiastes teaches us what does have the tensile strength to support the burdens we feel in our lives. In the conclusion of this book we are going to learn the great truth which holds up under the burden, scrutiny, and messiness of our lives. Additionally we are finally going to Ecclesiastes target audience, the people whom Solomon really wanted to understand his teachings. Oftentimes we’ll discuss the target audience of a biblical book early on in the series. This series is a bit different. Solomon may have hinted at who his target audience is in previous chapters, but he hasn’t said much outright. When it’s revealed, we’ll understand why this sermon series focused on making over our outlook on faith, family and our careers.
READ Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:2
Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. 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. 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. Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and 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”; before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain,
The target audience of this book is the youth and young. Ironically enough defining “youth” can often be subjective based on perspective. When I read the challenge to “Remember your creator in the days of your youth” picture youth around the age of our youth central kinds. However I am mindful that many of you may be looking at me up here saying “you are also in the days of your youth.” If those who’ve passed away were able to briefly re-enter time they might say anyone who still draws breath is youth.
Bearing that in mind, picture those who are in their youth however you’d like. Just know that regardless of the target audience everyone has something to learn.
To those who are “in the days of their youth” Solomon challenges them to “Remember their creator” before the days of darkness come, and they say “I no longer take pleasure in them.”
I don’t know about you, but when I read Solomon's words, there is a specific song that comes to mind. A song which is essentially about enjoying life before the joy of being alive begins to fade.
So I think I’ve appropriately named this sermon “Jack and Diane.” The chorus of the song is “Oh yeah, life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone.”
Solomon and John Mellencamp alike tell us that eventually those in the days of their youth will reach a threshold in their lives. At one point, everybody is going to reach a point where the thrill of living isn’t as strong as it once was. Solomon would tell us that before we reach this threshold we need to make sure we intentionally remember our creator.
If we do this, we may find ourselves not having to worry about when the thrill of life is gone. If we remember the creator in the days of our youth, the joy may never leave.
So what does it mean to “Remember our creator in the days of our youth?” Solomon shows us how we conclude the entire book of Ecclesiastes.
READ Ecclesiastes 12:9-14
Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
In verse 11 Solomon seems to be self aware about the difficult nature of his book. The wise words are like goads. If you don’t know what “goads” are they are basically spikes to urge cattle or oxen forward. They are uncomfortable, but ultimately they are there to keep the livestock moving forward. Solomon realizes his book is sometimes hard to hear (Death, vanity, ect.) However the purpose of the book is to propel us forward. Solomon says Ecclesiastes is like goads moving forward because its words come from one shepherd. (God, Holy Spirit) Solomon is laying the foundation for the ultimate truth which sums up all of Solomon's work in this book.
Now that all has been heard, here is the conclusion of the matter. Fear God and keep his commands, this is Man's all.
Solomon spends a great deal of Ecclesiastes talking about the confusion and hardship of living life under the sun. When Solomon tells his audience “the key to living life under the sun is fearing God and keeping his commands. Or you might think of it this way. In order to live life under the sun, we must seek wisdom beyond the sun.
Everything else in this life will disappoint you
Recap of Ecclesiastes
Let’s take a minute to unpack what it means to fear God and keep his commands.
Anytime we speak of “fearing God” most people view it as a type of fright inducing fear. Because of this fear is often seen as being a cruel tactic used by God, and something negative in our lives. However it’s much deeper than fright.
The Hebrew word for fear in this passage is yare (Yah-ray). This word may be confusing. It sounds like someone is saying yahweh under the influence of novacaine.
However, what's important is the definition of Yare. Which includes respect, reverence, and an acknowledgement of influence.
Fearing God means it comes with respect, reverence, and an acknowledgement of the way he influences your life.
The fact of the matter is this, we are going to have this type of fear for something in our lives. We might as well make God the object of our fear, reverence and desire for influence. Solomon says if you fear, revere, or idolize anything under the sun, it’s just going to leave you confused.
God is the only thing which is worthy of our fear, respect and reverence. Through God we understand life is a gift, not gain. Through fearing God we have other great gifts, gifts which Solomon encouraged us to remember multiple times in Ecclesiastes. These are the gifts of life, toil, food, drink and joy.
Conclusion: Finding fulfillment in God is the only thing which will make sense of living life under the sun. God is the only thing which can answer the question of why we live. In order to live life under the sun, we must seek wisdom beyond the sun.
