Meaning in Pleasure

Introduction

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I. Pleasures (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11)

A. Pleasure (v. 1). What feels good? That must be worth it, right? Wrong!

“I’ll test you (venture, put someone to the test) with pleasures, enjoy yourself (see yourself)” Quite literally, Solomon wrote: “Here’s a new venture to see who you really are”

-Types of Pleasure:

B. Fun/video games/movies (perhaps use Eddie from Cumberland County as an example) (v. 2)

1. Fun at first but eventually you get bored.

a. Tik Tok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram reels are super popular because it’s bite-sized, action packed, and quick. You can fit more in, it stimulates the pleasure center of your brain, but the fun fizzles out fast. To keep the dopamine hit we keep scrolling and before you know it you look up and 2 hours have passed

b. Super excited for video games to come out but after 2 months we’re tired of it. Played it all the way through, exhausted every game mode, and now looking for something new to captivate us.

c. Movies are edited differently today than 50 years ago. Oners (a longer scene from one camera without cutting to a different angle) are more rare, a longer shot that lets the scene breathe from one angle. These days it cuts to a different angle to keep your attention

2. We don’t like feeling bored and want to have a good time. So we only do things that make us feel good. If it’s not fun we won’t do it. We don’t venture out into something new or we are never consistent and become unreliable because we just want to have fun.

3. Fun is good and important but what does it accomplish? You can’t have fun all the time. Media and consumer products are designed to keep you from quiet moments. We’re so busy that we never slow down and never take a breath. We can’t handle being bored because we have been trained not to be. We gotta keep doing something. Always chasing that next thing. Not a purpose-filled life, it’s spent on pleasures that are fleeting

C. Alcohol/stimulants (v. 3):

1. Illus. videos online of parents leaving a plate of cookies or candy on the table. Set their kid at the table and say “I’ll be right back. Don’t eat the cookies until I get back” to test their restraint. Sometimes they do good, other times, they can’t restrain themselves. Talk about flirting with disaster. Putting temptation in front of your kids to see how they handle it. Do we not do the same thing in our own lives?

a. Do you know anybody who says, “Don’t talk to me until I’ve had my coffee?” You’re a real grouch until you’ve had your caffeine to boost yourself. You’ve become reliant on a substance to feel good. If you go without it then you get a blasted headache for a couple days. Not worth it, I need my coffee, it’s the elixir of life!

b. That’s just coffee, not necessarily that big of a deal. Unless its a coping mechanism to feel good about something. Some people struggle with food addictions: stress-eating, that’s the only pleasure they get. Or they turn to alcohol or drug abuse. I want to feel good and these things take the pain away.

2. We end up doing things under the influence of alcohol and stimulants we would never do otherwise. Solomon calls it folly. It ends up leaving us empty

D. Stuff (v. 4-6)

1. They say if you really want to know who someone is and what they’re all about you just have to see what they spend their money on. The key word in this section is “myself.” Bought houses for myself, vineyards, ponds, & gardens for myself. I did this for me.

a. Illus. Grandpa Jack moved to Mexico, building 3 different houses. His family just wanted him here but he would go for longer and longer periods. During a big family meeting the family told him they wanted him to sell the houses and move here. He did a little bit of work toward that end but never fixed it up. Finally, he passed away. The whole family has been scrambling to get these houses listed and sold, dealing with international taxes and rules. It’s been a mess.

b. The worst part? Grandpa’s claim was that he was doing it for the family. Really, he was doing it for himself. The family wanted him home with them but he wanted to go to Mexico.

2. Solomon spent 13 years building his house. When it was done how do you think he felt? Empty, unfulfilled. Our new stuff is fun and enjoyable but the new car smell doesn’t last, the house gets messy, the new toy breaks. It can sustain us long-term

E. Business Owner (Entrepreneur)/Money/Sex (v. 7-8)

1. If just fun, stimulants, and stuff makes us lazy. Then starting a business changes the game, right? It can be fulfilling knowing you’ve built something with your own two hands. But it also comes with challenges and responsibility. It’s pretty stressful to become an overnight success in 10 years. Yeah, it’s fun and can feel really good but it makes a poor life-long purpose when we keep eternity in perspective

a. In Luke 12:13-21 a man came to Jesus demanding He make the man’s brother split the inheritance with him. Jesus responded, “Who made me ruler and judge over you?” Then he tells a parable of a man who did very well in business. He was so successful that he had way too much product and money. So he said to himself, “I know what I’ll do, I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones!” Grow the business. Then he could kick back, relax, eat drink, and be merry; get a taste of the good life

b. Remember what Jesus said? Luke 12:20–21 “But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.””

2. Solomon was also a ladies’ man. 700 wives and 300 concubines (think of all the mother-in-laws!). You know what that shows us? He was searching for something that sex could not fill. Intimacy is beautiful in God’s design of marriage. When we pluck it out of God’s design and make it a sport it lacks its luster

3. It’s not about the things we build here, it’s about the kingdom God is building in us. It’s not a sin to be rich, intimacy in marriage is not a sin, but you will be left unfulfilled if you aren’t rich toward God

F. Popularity & Knowledge (v. 9)

1. It’s fun to be well-liked. We enjoy it when people laugh at our jokes and people look to us for advice. It’s wonderful

2. Well, it’s wonderful until you have to keep up appearances and maintain your popularity. “I gave good advice last time, now I have to up the anty”. The problem with being the greatest is that it gets real lonely at the top

G. In all of this we see a common thread: Chasing happiness but never catching it (v. 10-11)

1. Happiness and pleasure is a fleeting feeling. It feels good for a moment but it isn’t lasting.

2. Solomon was profitable, fun, popular, intelligent, and more. But he found after the initial excitement wore off that he was left empty. No profit under the sun, a chasing after the wind

II. Eternal Pursuits

A. The above can have its place: fun, laughter, stuff, business ventures, popularity, knowledge, etc. but only in the scope of eternity

1. When we make our life’s pursuit from this creation then we will be found wanting. But when God is our pursuit then we find lasting satisfaction

2. Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15). A younger son of two brothers demands his inheritance and squanders it on fun. He didn’t hold back, did whatever his heart desired. But his money ran out, his friends left, the party ended and he was not only left empty, he was left destitute. He resorted to feeding pigs and longing to eat their slop. Until one day he woke up and realized he would do better as a servant in his father’s house. Remember what happened? He didn’t feel worthy to be a son but he went home to his father who restored him as a son. Not only did he restore his son they celebrated, they had fun, pleasure

a. Being a Christian doesn’t take away pleasures, rather, it puts them in proper place and perspective

b. Fun is a poor task master. God gives us status and everything we need so that we are free to enjoy what life has to offer. It’s when we are in God’s house that life has purpose and meaning

B. Remember Paul’s imprisonment? It’s kind of hard to make ends meet but he learned contentment (Philippians 4:10-13)

1. Notice, whether he had a lot or a little he was fine. No extreme highs or lows. Why? He knew God would take care of him

2. He could endure the unstable stock market and a housing crisis because Christ strengthened him

3. Life’s hardships begin to lose their sting when we are living for God, building riches in eternity through holiness and grace

Conclusion