THE ELUSIVE MEANING OF LIFE

This is a powerful outline based on the journey of Solomon in Ecclesiastes, contrasted with the fulfillment found in Christ. It moves from the "under the sun" perspective to the eternal perspective.

Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:11

Opening Illustrations: The "God-Shaped Hole"

1. The "Jigsaw Puzzle" Analogy

Imagine a person trying to finish a 1,000-piece puzzle of a beautiful landscape. They have spent years assembling it, but as they reach the very end, they realize the final, central piece is missing. They try to force a piece from a different puzzle into the spot—maybe a piece of "career," a piece of "pleasure," or a piece of "wealth." It might stay there for a moment, but the colors don't match and the edges don't fit. This is the human condition: trying to fill an eternal void with temporal shapes.

2. The Saltwater Paradox

A man is adrift at sea in a life raft. He is surrounded by water, yet he is dying of thirst. In his desperation, he begins to drink the ocean water. It feels cold and refreshing for a split second, but because of the salt, it actually dehydrates him faster, making him thirstier than he was before. Philosophy, pleasure, and possessions are "saltwater"—they promise to quench your thirst but only leave you more parched.

People are looking in many different places for the true meaning of life.

Just like the people of Solomon's day, people are looking for a purpose for living.

Also like the people of Solomon's day, people are looking in the wrong places.

THE MEANING OF LIFE IS NOT FOUND IN HUMAN PHILOSOPHY (WHAT I THINK) 1:12-18

This is not a contradiction to Solomon's declarations of the value of wisdom in Proverbs.

In Ecclesiastes Solomon talks of human wisdom. In Proverbs Solomon talks of God's wisdom (Proverbs 1:7, 2:1-9, 4:5-7, 9:10)

Proverbs 1:7 NASB95

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 3:4–7 NASB95

4 So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

Proverbs 4:5–7 NASB95

5 Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 “Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you. 7 “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding.

Proverbs 9:10 NASB95

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Solomon was very clear about Wisdom of God in Proverbs

The Limitation of Logic Verse 15

Human wisdom can identify the problems of life, but it lacks the power to fix the "crooked" nature of the world (v. 15).

The Burden of Knowing Verse 18

Increasing intellectual knowledge often leads to an increase in sorrow, as we become more aware of the world's brokenness (v. 18).

The Dead End of Humanism Verse Verse 17

Searching for meaning through self-driven reason is like "grasping for the wind"—it provides no solid foundation for the soul (v. 17).

Illustration for Philosophy:

"Library in the Dark"

Imagine a man trapped in a pitch-black, massive library. He spends his whole life feeling the spines of books, memorizing the way the books feel in his hands, and trying to deduce what the world outside looks like just by "thinking" about it. He develops brilliant theories about the sun, but he’s never felt its warmth.

The Hook: Human philosophy is like a blind man describing a sunset. You can have all the information about life, but without the light of God, you are still sitting in the dark.

THE MEANING OF LIFE IS NOT FOUND IN PLEASURE (WHAT I ENJOY) 2:1-3

The Law of Diminishing Returns Verse 1

Pleasure requires higher "doses" to achieve the same thrill, eventually leaving the heart feeling empty and bored (v. 1).

The Mask of Laughter Verse 2

We often use entertainment and "madness" as a temporary sedative to distract us from a lack of internal peace (v. 2).

The Hangover of Hedonism Verse 3

Investigating life through "wine and folly" proves that physical stimulation cannot satisfy a spiritual hunger (v. 3).

Illustrations For Pleasure:

The "Sugar Cube" Diet

Imagine a child who decides they no longer want to eat proteins or vegetables-they only want sugar cubes. The first one is a rush. The second is great. By the tenth, they feel sick. By the twentieth, their teeth ache and their energy crashes.

The Hook: Pleasure is a wonderful dessert, but it’s a terrible main course. It provides a "high" that always ends in a "crash," leaving the soul malnourished and "hollow" (the literal meaning of the Hebrew word hevel used in Ecclesiastes).

THE MEANING OF LIFE IS NOT FOUND IN PROJECTS (WHAT I DO) 2:4-6

The Trap of Achievement Verse 4

We build "great works" to leave a legacy, yet we remain restless even after the ribbon-cutting ceremony (v. 4).

The Illusion of Control Verse 5

Creating gardens and parks represents our attempt to build our own Eden, but we cannot sustain the life we create (v. 5).

The Temporary Nature of Success Verse 6

Productivity provides a sense of purpose for the day, but it fails to provide a purpose for eternity (v. 6).

Illustrations for Projects:

The "Sandcastle" Architect

Watch a child at the beach. They spend four hours building an intricate castle with moats, towers, and walls. They are completely consumed by the work. But the tide always comes in. No matter how deep the moat is, the ocean eventually levels the sand.

The Hook: Mindy and I were once on a beach when they were having a sand design contest. There were massive and elaborate designs of epic proportions. In much the same way we spend our lives building "monuments" to our own competence—businesses, homes, reputations, forgetting that time is a tide that eventually washes every human project away. If your purpose is in the castle, you’ll be devastated when the tide rises.

THE MEANING OF LIFE IS NOT FOUND IN POSSESSIONS (WHAT I HAVE) 2:7-11

According to 1 Kings 9:10-28, Solomon was an extremely rich man.

The Deception of "More" Verses 7-8

Solomon had everything money could buy, yet he discovered that "he who loves money will not be satisfied with money."

The Weight of Stewardship Verses 9-10

Great possessions bring great responsibilities and anxieties, often owning the owner rather than serving them.

The Final Audit Verse 11

At the end of the day, looking at all his hands had toiled to achieve, Solomon found it all "vanity" because he couldn't take it with him (v. 11).

Illustration for Possessions:

The "Golden Handcuffs"

There is an old story about how to catch a monkey. You put a piece of fruit inside a heavy jar with a narrow neck. The monkey reaches in and grabs the fruit, but with his fist clenched, he can’t get his hand back out. He is trapped—not because the jar is holding him, but because he refuses to let go of the "possession."

The Hook: Our "stuff" often owns us more than we own it. We are "trapped" by the very things we thought would make us free and happy.

THE MEANING OF LIFE IS FOUND IN A PERSON (WHO I KNOW) Colossians 1:13-20, Philippians 1:21, 3:4-11, John 14:6

We go to the New Testament to find the true meaning of life. It is found in the person of Christ!

The Anchor of Identity Col. 1:13

In Christ, we are moved from the "domain of darkness" into a kingdom where we are known, loved, and redeemed (Col. 1:13).

Colossians 1:13–20 NASB95

13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

The Sufficiency of Christ Phil. 3:8

Paul realized that all his "projects" and "philosophies" were rubbish compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus (Phil. 3:8).

Philippians 1:21 NASB95

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Philippians 3:4–11 NASB95

4 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. 7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

The Eternal Perspective John 14:6

While "under the sun" everything is vanity, "in Christ" our life has an eternal destination and an unshakable foundation (John 14:6).

John 14:6 NASB95

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Illustration for the Person:

The "Rescue at Sea"

Imagine a sailor who has been clinging to a piece of driftwood (Philosophy), a floating crate of supplies (Possessions), or trying to swim to a distant shore on his own strength (Projects). He is exhausted and drowning. Suddenly, a rescue ship pulls alongside. He doesn't need a lecture on how to swim; he doesn't need more driftwood. He needs a Person to reach down, grab his hand, and pull him onto the deck.

The Hook: Jesus doesn’t give us a new philosophy to study or a new project to complete. He gives us Himself. He is the only "solid ground" in a world of shifting sand.

Conclusion: From "What" to "Who"

Three movements to challenge you this year:

The Audit:

Ask them to look at their "ledger" for the week. How much time was spent on the What (projects, philosophy, possessions) versus the Who (communing with Christ)?

Invite them to:

Admit to God You have been drinking from broken cisterns that hold no water.

The Exchange:

Use the language of Philippians 3. Challenge them to "count as loss" the things they’ve been relying on for their identity. If their house was gone, their degree was nullified, and their hobbies were taken away, would they still have a reason to wake up?

The call is to:

Will you exchange a "to-do list" for a "relationship.?

The Commitment of the "Now":

Invite them to a specific response. "This week, before you start your 'Projects' or check your 'Possessions,' spend 10 minutes in the presence of the 'Person.'

Commit to read Colossians 1:15-20 every morning to remind yourself who holds your world together."

1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

When we know Christ as Savior and Lord we know the real meaning of life.