I Can't Get No Satisfaction - Pleasure

The Cyrenaics, led by Aristippus, a student of Socrates, was an ancient philosophical group that asserted that the whole of life, the whole point of living was pleasure. Pleasure was good and pain was bad. They were the ancient proponents of if it feels good do it. Aristippus was allegedly said to say that happiness and the true meaning of life was fine wine, good food, good music, and sex with prostitutes. But, one of the earliest problems with this philosophy fell into a paradox. The quest of pleasure left the person unsatisfied when achieved. The quest for pleasure did not make a person happy, it was actually those who were not pursuing pleasure who seemed happiest. The pursuit of pleasure only brought more pain. Well this was seen 5 centuries earlier in 930 BC. by Solomon.

Oh mankind has been since the fall been searching for the ultimate of pleasure. If it feels good do it. Many have even said that pleasure, what we feel, is the only thing that we know for sure. We cannot know truth, but we can know pleasure and pain. And even in this day, feeding all of our desires still leaves us just as unsatisfied as before. Pleasure is an endless appetite, a black hole, an abyss. Many times we do all that we can for a moment of pleasure and it does not live up to the hype or it does nothing more than leave us wanting more. When Amnon who was sick with desire for Tamar, finally got her, it turned into hatred. But Shane are you sure. There are a lot of things in this world that I have not experienced yet… maybe the problem is we don’t experience everything. Solomon today is gonna show us how quantity and intensity of experience still does not do the trick. From a man who had it all.

Ecclesiastes 2:1–11 NLT

I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world. I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire! So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me. Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.

The Experiment

Let’s Get this Party Started

Better Homes and Gardens

Sex Drugs and Rock and Roll

I Can’t Get No Satisfaction

Enjoying God

The first thing we will explore is the actual parameters of the experiment of Solomon concerning pleasure. Second we will see some of his discoveries involving comedy and alcohol. Third, he tried to find meaning but experiencing the finer things in life, a life of luxury having everything a man could desire. Fourth, we will unwrap the preacher’s conclusion of denying himself nothing. Finally, we will see that enjoyment is a primary factor of a meaningful life here under the sun, but it is only when enjoying the Son.

Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to chase pleasure as the goal and end of life, but it is the truth of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit that will cause us to see that the chief end of mankind is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

I. The Experiment

- It is time to test the pleasures of life and see if this will bring happiness.

A. Last time we saw Solomon’s quest for knowledge end in frustration and vexation. Meaningless all is meaningless it is chasing the wind. So maybe it was time to change gears. To try something else instead of giving up. That’s what he did.

B. Instead of turning to the Lord for satisfaction, he decided to turn to pleasure. I like the ESV here...

Ecclesiastes 2:1 ESV

I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity.

C. You see…he said Ni-sah. To test, to prove, to experiment. It is time to test the pleasures of life and see if this will bring happiness. He will become a hedonist - Hedonism is a school of thought that argues that the pursuit of pleasure and intrinsic goods are the primary or most important goals of human life. He decides to make his own personal happiness his chief-end.

D. But the conclusion is the same. Vanity of Vanities. It is a vopor a mist that we try to grab. Pleasure seemed to hold out the promise of purpose in life, but it didn’t last, it did not deliver what it promised.

In other words, it was vapor and smoke. Pleasure seemed to hold out the promise of purpose in life, but it didn’t last. In the end it turned out to be empty, elusive, and ephemeral. By the time his pleasures floated away, the Preacher was left with absolutely nothing. His hedonism proved to be meaningless.

Dr. Ryken - By the time his pleasures floated away, the Preacher was left with absolutely nothing. His hedonism proved to be meaningless.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 46). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

E. We cannot deny that this is kind of the way people live today. It is a temptation for all of us. To live for ourselves rather than for God.

This is the way that many people live today, and it is a temptation for all of us—to live for ourselves rather than for God.

II. Let’s Get this Party Started

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 46). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

- “I’m coming up so you better get this party started.” - Pink

A. But here he goes… he does not just give the conclusion, he shares his findings. He starts with comedy. Laughing is the way to go. Being entertained with laughter was apparent in ancient times. And what does he conclude about laughter?

B. It is silly or mad. Meh-Ho-Lal… But it is considered to be a moral failure, not just silliness or insanity. Derek Kidner - It is moral perversity rather than mental oddity.

C. Laughter in seen here to be destructive or even cynical. We see much laughter today to be dark, cynical, and sick. I mean why are all the dirty comedians the popular ones? I remember one of my friends telling me, when talking about clean comedy, that it is not funny if it is clean.

D. Now not all of laughter is bad.

Proverbs 31:25 NLT

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.

E. But a lot of joking today is really frivolous and superficial, or else cynical, sarcastic, and even cruel. To honor God, we need to ask whether our laughter is rejoicing in the goodness of God or is coming at someone else’s expense. Laughter does not take the pain away, and it might even be immoral.

F. But partying today is not just laughing and joking… it will involve alcohol. This is a way to feel good about life and for many a way to escape it. But many times we come to this passage to find Solomon trying to medicate the lack of meaning with drunkeness. This is not what he is saying. We all do not need Solomon to show us how drunkenness is not the answer to life. The next part of the verse will not make sense if it it drunkenness

But a lot of joking is frivolous and superficial, or else cynical, sarcastic, and even cruel (see ; ; ). To honor God, we need to ask whether our laughter is rejoicing in the goodness of God or is coming at someone else’s expense.

G. What Qoheleth is saying, and I will admit that this section in the Hebrew is difficult to translate, is that he wants us to see that he used wine… with his heart still guiding me with wisdom… he is telling us that he is not drunk which is not using wisdom. He is talking about what we call causal drinking or drinking to relax. The actual pleasure of drinking alcohol. Enjoying wine to aid food. To have a good time at parties. To make us merry with wine. To have fun at weddings. Responsible drinking. Not drinking till he passed out. It helps us understand the last part of the verse about our short life on earth. “Maybe just having fun laughing and the pleasure we find with alcohol will help me deal with our short life here on earth.” In other words… He wanted to find out if alcohol could be a solution to the emptiness of life in the face of death. He found that the pleasure of alcohol does not take away the pain.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 47). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

He wanted to find out if drinking and drinking parties were the best solution to the emptiness of life in the face of death. He found that alcohol does not take away the pain.

H. Many of us can speak from experience here. Alcohol does not make the problems of life go away. Responsible drinking or irresponsible drinking, we will always wake the next day… with sober reality… life is still hard and meaningless. Sorry, but getting this party started will not take away the emptiness of life we might feel.

III. Better Homes and Gardens

Garrett, D. A. (1993). Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs (Vol. 14, p. 291). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

-He wants to now try to see if the finer things in life will help out.

A. He was gonna explore the lifestyles of the rich and famous. He wanted a super nice house with an incredible garden. Solomon was an architect, a builder, a developer. We know that it was lavish… it took more than a decade to build his royal palace with a huge price tag.

B. But we don’t really get the sense of how grand this is. It could only be done by a great king with all of the kingdom’s resources at his disposal. Look its all described in the plural. Not just house but homes, gardens, parks, ect. Look Solomon was living large. Larger than anyone else. And it was not just living large with property, but with lifestyle.

C. He also had lots of slaves. Jack bring me a coke zero. He had a bunch of people to do all the work for him. He bought some and some were born in his own house… he had lots of them. This is a sign of great wealth and power back in the day. Jack could you come and wipe the sweat off my forehead. He had servants and lots of them. He did not need to do anything he did not want to do. Essentially.

D. Tony Stark had Pepper Potts. Bruce Wayne had Alfred. Phillips Banks had Jeffery. The Brady Bunch had Ann. Fred Flintstone had Lolo Briggeta. I have Jack. But Solomon had more than any who ruled in Jerusalem before him. Jack can you take this to the dry cleaners for me.

E. He also accumulated for himself lots and lots of treasure. He got it, collected it. He created royal palaces, royal ranches, and now even royal museums. Lots of gold and silver all over the place.

F. He hired lots of entertainment. He had singers and musicians both men and women. The best and greatest of the time. One day he had Benny Goodman and Jerry Lee Lewis. The next day he had the Beatles and the Beach Boys. The next day was Aretha Franklin and Patty Labell. Michael Jackson and Celine Dion. Then Taylor Swift and Jay Z.

G. It is understood that music was a rare pleasure in those days, that is why it was important to see that he could afford to have it in his courts when ever he wanted it. Could you imagine having the New York Philharmonic as your alarm clock in the morning?

H. And we all know that sex is a common pleasure that many of us experience. But few if any on the scale of Solomon.

1 Kings 11:3 NLT

He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.

1 Kings 11:13 NLT

And even so, I will not take away the entire kingdom; I will let him be king of one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, my chosen city.”

I. It is almost unthinkable the amount of sexual partners he had over his lifetimes. The erotic luxury of this huge harem was something of an unusual scale. Sexually, he had everything any man could ever had asked for.

J. He ends the section by stating… I had everything a man could ever ask for. There was nothing more for this man to experience when it came to pleasure. And what happened?

IV. I Can’t Get No Satisfaction

- Everything is not Enough

A. Laughter, Wine, Women, living in the lap of luxury. Solomon had it all. Literally. Today he could be on the cover of Fortune Magazine as a person being the richest ever. You might find enough money to pay off America’s debt by looking for loose change in his couch. You would see his home on the cover of Architectural digest. The best comedians in the world would be in his courts. Again, pop stars would sing for his dinner like turning on the radio for us. He had more entertainment then Netflix could provide. People would be everywhere doing everything he wanted. Everywhere he went supermodels would be on his arms.

B. He had everything anyone could have ever wanted. He had everything that would or could give pleasure and he gave it to himself. He experienced it all. He denied himself nothing. If he wanted it, he took it. Anything that was even rumored to give pleasure, he did it. If it was visible entertaining or inwardly satisfying, he did it.

C. What happens to people who pursue any and every pleasure as their main passion in life? The same. Vanity of Vanities. Chasing the Wind. Vapor, Smoke, meaningless. Nothing was different. He was still on the treadmill. He was still grabbing for a mist.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 50). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

D. There is nothing worthwhile anywhere. Nothing to be gained. He was still not satisfied. Gregg Easterbrook in the Progress Paradox - We have more of almost everything today…except happiness. “In fact, the more we have, the unhappier we are, because we know we will never be able to get all the new things that we want.”

E. Qoheleth shows us something here. He had everything and it was not enough. Do you see this truth. He had everything and he was not satisfied. Even if get everything you can… it is still not enough. Everything is Not Enough. This is why we can’t get any satisfaction.

In fact, the more we have, the unhappier we are, because we know we will never be able to get all the new things that we want.

F. Harold Kushner writes about a woman in When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough. She married a successful corporate executive and bought her dream house in the suburbs. But now she “cannot understand why she goes around every morning saying to herself, ‘Is this all there is to life?’ ”

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 51). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Rabbi Harold Kushner writes about in When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough. She married a successful corporate executive and bought her dream house in the suburbs. But now she “cannot understand why she goes around every morning saying to herself, ‘Is this all there is to life?’ ”

G. Did you know that comedians are some of the most depressed people in the world? This was a study when one of the most successful comics in history, Robin Williams, committed suicide. They laugh, they make others laugh, they seem so happy. But they are not. Laughter is silly Solomon said.

H. Alcohol does not bring happiness. It is actually a depressant. It can create anxiety. Hangovers are actually bad for you physically. It affects healthy sleep patterns. Sure it can help you wind down, but it will not solve anything. Solomon can testify to this. Many of us today can testify to the insanity of drinking, hangover, suffering, then start the process over again. Pink tells us to get the party started, to quote Mace Windu… tell Pink this party is over.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 51). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

I. I worked for a builder in Stapleton. The depression of some who just closed on the house of their dreams was staggering. Many did not find the satisfaction they were looking for. One couple decided to build another one just a couple months after they moved in. Better Homes and Gardens is a constant in the lives of some. Always in search of a better home and garden.

J. Music does not solve it. Musicians have an incredibly high suicide rate themselves. Music creatively addresses the problem, but it does not solve anything. It helps us to cope… but like soap on a rope… it does not give us hope. Nope.

K. Any how many find that even sex does not solve anything. I knew a guy who was good looking and could get any girl he wanted. Literally. He even got women to leave their husbands. The longer it went on, the more miserable he became. He even tried getting married, but it did not last very long. His erotic lifestyle did not bring happiness.

L. Back in the 1960s when people were arguing for unrestrained sexual freedom, Time magazine (of all publications) offered this rebuttal: “When sex is pursued only for pleasure, or only for gain, or even only to fill a void in society or in the soul, it becomes elusive, impersonal, and ultimately disappointing.”

M. Martin Luther, who said, “If the Lord has given one a wife, one should now hold on to her and enjoy her. If you want to exceed these limits and add to this gift which you have in the present, you will get grief and sorrow instead of pleasure.”

Back in the 1960s when people were arguing for unrestrained sexual freedom, Time magazine (of all publications) offered this rebuttal: “When sex is pursued only for pleasure, or only for gain, or even only to fill a void in society or in the soul, it becomes elusive, impersonal, and ultimately disappointing.” By

N. Again, What happens to people who pursue any and every pleasure as their main passion in life? Chasing the Wind.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 54). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 54). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

V. Enjoying God

- The Chief-End of Man is to Glorify God and Enjoy Him Forever.

A. But you see there is hope for us today. Even though we see that pleasure does not bring happiness or satisfaction, it is pleasure done under the sun. As we shall see pleasure under the Son of God is what will be satisfying. It is real pleasure.

B. CS Lewis writes, “Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that what they do want, and want acutely, is something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise. The longings which arise in us when we first fall in love, or first think of some foreign country, or first take up some subject that excites us, are longings which no marriage, no travel, no learning, can really satisfy.… There was something we grasped at, in that first moment of longing, which just fades away in the reality.”

C. We miss it today because we are looking for pleasure apart from God. We cannot have meaning or satisfaction in life without Christ. We already saw the quest to find it in wisdom and it does not work. Today we saw the failure of a life pursuing pleasure. It is because we a looking for a life apart from the Lord and this is because of sin.

Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that what they do want, and want acutely, is something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise. The longings which arise in us when we first fall in love, or first think of some foreign country, or first take up some subject that excites us, are longings which no marriage, no travel, no learning, can really satisfy.… There was something we grasped at, in that first moment of longing, which just fades away in the reality.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 52). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

D. Sin causes us to reject God. We rebel. Ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, our natural desire is to be away from God. We are looking for a life apart from God, hiding from God. And more and more everyday, we see an incredible pursuit of pleasure instead of Christ. Even in the church we see this pursuit. But we were warned about it.

2 Timothy 3:4 NLT

They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.

E. We continue to fall into foolish behavior and insanely chase the wind everyday in despair. But instead of going to God, we continue to go to the world and hope in empty things that cannot deliver on its promises. Why do we do this? Sin. Sin tries to tell us that satisfaction does not come in the pleasures themselves. But, satisfaction only comes in God himself, so that our dissatisfaction may teach us to turn to him.

But satisfaction does not come in the pleasures themselves; it comes separately. Satisfaction only comes in God himself, so that our dissatisfaction may teach us to turn to him.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 52). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

F. Sin is real family. It is what causes us to turn from God to the world. Sin is lying to us today. Ecclesiastes is here to convince us not to love the world or live for its pleasures. This message is not intended to discourage us or to make us any more depressed than we already are, but to drive us back to God.

Ecclesiastes is here to convince us not to love the world or live for its pleasures. This message is not intended to discourage us or to make us any more depressed than we already are, but to drive us back to God.

G. Come back to the Lord today. All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. The wages of sin is death. But today we can be saved and find life for real. Salvation belongs to the Lord.

H. We all have fallen short, but Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures and he was buried and he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you shall be saved.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 52). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

I. Come to the Lord today. He promised to bring life and life more abundantly and He delivered. There is meaning to life as a Christian. Pleasure is now real.

J. Moses saw this reality.

Hebrews 11:25 NLT

He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.

K. In Christ, the very pleasures that once failed to satisfy us now help us find even greater joy in the goodness of God. The Lord desires us to experience pleasure, but in reality pleasure is only satisfying in Christ. Apart from Christ pleasure is not pleasure at all. It is in Christ and in Christ alone.

Psalm 16:11 NLT

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

the very pleasures that once failed to satisfy us now help us find even greater joy in the goodness of God. This

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 53). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

L. The Lord want us to find enjoyment in life. But it is a life found in Him because we were made for Him.