The Vanity of Earthly Glory

Prayer

So what’s been interesting to me - as we’ve made our way through this book of Ecclesiastes...

is that week after week, it seems as though Solomon is writing 2 sermons/messages

And what I’m referring to is - up to this point.

Week after week so far, he’s been laying out for the world - THIS is vanity...

THIS is a Chasing after the wind!

And so each week, we’ve seen the perspective of FALLEN MAN....under the sun!

And so - as I stated last week - it’s as though Solomon is - making it a point to STAY Under the Sun...

Here’s what I mean - Solomon wants the world to see that its own view of itself - is DISTORTED!

Solomon wants to HOLD up a mirror to the world - and say - Ok world, what you’re seeing right now - is NOT REALITY!

What YOU see in the mirror is -

the BEST opportunity for happiness

the BEST opportunity for success

But I’M here to TELL you…that’s not true - Let me show you...

And so the way that he does that is to - STAY under the sun...

IN A WAY where it seems that - for a lot of this book....Solomon’s main concern doesn’t even seem to be to - HIGHLIGHT the truths found OVER the SUN...

This is why you’ll read things like this in this book -

“THIS is better than THAT....but in the end (ultimately), it’s ALL vanity!”

It’s like he doesn’t ELEVATE them, most times in this book, ABOVE the SUN...

And so - just like last week - we’re going to march through our text...

And then circle back and actually focus on the first verse we’ll discuss today…but we’ll elevate it above the sun...

Let’s get started:

Ecclesiastes 4:13–16 ESV

13 Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice. 14 For he went from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor. 15 I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that youth who was to stand in the king’s place. 16 There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

The topic that Solomon addresses today is one that we’re all prone to...

And the plot line is one that many have tried to figure out...

Some believe he’s talking about Joseph and Pharaoh...

Some think Saul and David...

And there are others...

But the point that’s being looked at here is one that he’s touched on a bit - before...

And we’ve ALL experienced this from one side or the other...

OK - I’m going to give you now - the ANSWER before we even look at the test...

I’m going to give you the story line - before we even watch the movie...

HERE IT IS:

SUCCESS - ADVANCEMENT - POWER - POPULARITY...

SLIDE: Earthly Glory Under the Sun: Fleeting

Earthly Glory Under the Sun

All of these things - are - fleeting

So THIS is the answer - the final conclusion, BUT HOW did Solomon get to this conclusion?

Ecclesiastes 4:13 ESV

13 Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice.

So Solomon here points to a scenario - where a POOR KID - grows up and takes over for an OLD KING...

Now - this sounds like a “rags to riches” story if i ever heard one…right?

We always seem to be DRAWN to the stories where the UNDERDOG overcomes the odds on favorite - do we not?!

Let me know if you know what these phrases are referring to:

“Do YOU BELIEVE in MIRACLES? YES!” (1980 US Hockey Team defeats Russia)

“There’s a long drive ball....deep to right field…it’s a gonna be a homerun....UNBELIEVABLE!” (Kirk Gibson 1988 World Series)

“It’s OVER…it’s OVER…Cleveland is a city of Champions once again!!” (2016 NBA Championship)

All of these examples - UNDERDOGS overcoming the odds...

And the ONE determining factor that makes ALL the difference in this SCENARIO…in v13....

is WISDOM...

NOW - what Solomon is trying to do is to - GIVE the world - UNDER the sun....a scenario where everyone UNDER the sun....

would JOIN Solomon on the SIDE OF THE UNDERDOG and say -

YES - we’re with you - THAT’S a GREAT scenario that we would ALL like to be a part of!

Yes - we would ALL PURSUE that kind of wisdom...

OR AT LEAST - get behind someone who did!

REMEMBER - Solomon is trying to get the world to see that LIFE UNDER the SUN - is VANITY...

REGARDLESS of how NOBLE the cause - or how INSPIRING the STORY!

AND SO - he highlights the ...

“NOBLE CAUSE”

“INSPIRING STORY”

and gets everyone - heading in the same direction down this path...

And he CONTINUES to build on the story....

Ecclesiastes 4:14 ESV

14 For he went from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor.

WOW - from PRISON to the Throne!

…from rags - to - riches

And so THE WORLD - LOOKS at this STORY being painted by Solomon and ...

they are ALL IN...

*We hear the stories of KIDS who grew up poor…and yet turn out to be VERY SUCCESSFUL (in the world’s eyes…)

Makes you think of people like:

Oprah* (do people GRAVITATE toward her? - rags to riches)

LeBron James* (no dad, single mom - rags to riches)

We’re ALL drawn to stories like these...

It’s no different today and then back then...

And we see this as we continue with the text...

Ecclesiastes 4:15–16 ESV

15 I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that youth who was to stand in the king’s place. 16 There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

So ALL the people were behind THE NEW YOUNG GUY!

His story was INSPIRING...

In the world’s eyes - he was WORTHY to follow!

ALL the people put their HOPE in this NEW - king...

The old KING had become - Out-Of-Touch with the people...

AND SO - it was ALL about the NEW GUY!

The WORLD is RIGHT THERE with Solomon....

He’s brought them to the end of this path now!

He’s held up before them - EARTHLY GLORY...

The carrot he’s dangling in front of the world is - Earthly Glory...

…and they’re RIGHT THERE…waiting to be:

AFFIRMED in their pursuit...

They’re at the end of this path with Solomon - waiting for him to say - “THIS is what LIFE’s ALL about!

But what does he say?

What’s the big finale?

Ecclesiastes 4:16 ESV

16 There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

If you remember back to chapter 1, Solomon points to the fact that -

generations come and generations go - (repeat)

and there is nothing new under the sun!

Not only that…but he said - “There is NO remembrance of former things!”

What does he say here -

He says - There was NO end to all the people who now FOLLOWED the NEW, young KING...

They now had someone they could TRUST in!

Someone they felt would - WORK FOR THE PEOPLE!

And yet - what?

Those who come later will NOT rejoice in him....in the new young King...

All the people LOVE him now…but the next generation - THEY WON’T love him

That next generation - they’ll have their own “NEW young king”

And in ALL of this we SEE...

SLIDE: Earthly Glory is Temporary Glory: Not Worthy of Our Worship

Earthly Glory is Temporary Glory

And so - do you see how this CUTS 2 WAYS??

This not only speaks to the people LOOKING up to the KING...

But...

It also speaks to the people who WOULD pursue becoming King one day...

Or in our context - PURSUE earthly glory!

On the one side - ALL the people are putting their TRUST in the King!

ALL their hope RESTS in the new KING...

Which means - ALL their hope RESTS in that which is - TEMPORARY!

ANALOGY* - This is probably gonna be a TERRIBLE analogy, but we’re gonna look at it anyway

How many of you - TODAY - would bank ALL of your possessions on whether or not the WEATHER MAN got the weather forecast right for tomorrow?

Why would NONE OF US bet all of our possessions on the WEATHER MAN’s forecast?

Well - sometimes the weather man gets it right.

And you’re like - EXACTLY MIKE - SOMETIMES he gets it right!

ALL of us KNOW it’s not wise to STAKE OUR LIVES on the weather man’s forecast...

BECAUSE we know the weather man - DOESN’T CONTROL THE WEATHER

Solomon is trying to get the world to see that THEIR KINGS...

EVEN the new, young KINGS who went from RAGE-To-RICHES...

are no different than say - the Weather Man!

SLIDE:

To put all of your TRUST and HOPE in the KINGS of this WORLD is to stake your life on that which is LIMITED and TEMPORARY

NOW - on the other side - you have those who would PURSUE in heart and mind to BECOME the weather man!

Those who would PURSUE Earthly Glory - in order to RECEIVE that glory...

And so EITHER WAY...

Whether you bow at the feet of the IDOL of Earthly Glory...

OR...

You EMBRACE the IDOL itself to receive FOR yourself the Glory of Man...

you are EMBRACING - Vanity!

And this is what Solomon is trying to get the world to SEE...

And so up to this point…SOLOMON didn’t even ELEVATE any of our verses today ABOVE the SUN...

For Christians though (believers) - we know that in life we will struggle and battle against this thing called EARTHLY GLORY...

We OFTEN will find ourselves putting our hope in that which is TEMPORARY...

Christians will often find themselves (MORE WILLING to evangelize people toward)...

healthy eating - than toward the cross of Christ

higher education - than toward the cross of Christ

parenting tips - than toward the cross of Christ

fantasy football - than toward the cross of Christ

Earthly Glory - than toward the cross of Christ

There are THOUSANDS of idols that push for our attention every day....

SO HOW can we - What are the warning signs for us — that our DESIRE in a situation is becoming an IDOLATROUS desire…?

Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when it is forbidden by God.

For example, adultery and fornication and stealing and lying are forbidden by God. Some people at some times feel that these are pleasurable, or else we would not do them. No one sins out of duty. But such pleasure is a sign of idolatry.

Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when it is disproportionate to the worth of what is desired.

Great desire for non-great things is a sign that we are beginning to make those things idols.

Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when it is not saturated with gratitude.

When our enjoyment of something tends to make us not think of God, it is moving toward idolatry. But if the enjoyment gives rise to the feeling of gratefulness to God, we are being protected from idolatry. The grateful feeling that we don’t deserve this gift or this enjoyment, but have it freely from God’s grace, is evidence that idolatry is being checked.

Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when it does not see in God’s gift that God himself is more to be desired than the gift.

If the gift is not awakening a sense that God, the Giver, is better than the gift, it is becoming an idol.

Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when it is starting to feel like a right, and our delight is becoming a demand.

It may be that the delight is right. It may be that another person ought to give you this delight. It may be right to tell them this. But when all this rises to the level of angry demands, idolatry is rising.

Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when it draws us away from our duties.

When we find ourselves spending time pursuing an enjoyment, knowing that other things, or people, should be getting our attention, we are moving into idolatry.

Enjoyment is becoming idolatrous when it awakens a sense of pride that we can experience this delight while others can’t.

This is especially true of delights in religious things, like prayer and Bible reading and ministry. It is wonderful to enjoy holy things. It is idolatrous to feel proud that we can.

Remember John 5:39

John 5:39 ESV

39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,

Jesus here shows us that the BIBLE itself can become an IDOL in our lives!

Which means even Biblical Knowledge can become an IDOL in our lives...

This VERY THING happened to 1st century Jews...

The Pharisees were fanatical about - MEMORIZING Scripture...

They STUDIED and STUDIED…and STUDIED...

and had more KNOWLEDGE about Scripture than anyone else...

The problem was that they didn’t have - WISDOM...

Knowledge and Wisdom are 2 different things...

These guys had knowledge, but lacked WISDOM....and listen to what Jesus says about them a couple verses later...

John 5:44 ESV

44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

Jesus says - HOW can you believe, when all you want is the GLORY of man...

when ALL you want is EARTHLY GLORY…??

This is the battle we face...

The world seeks your DESIRES!!

It wants your affections!

Will we be a people who TREASURE that which is ETERNAL - Jesus Christ...

OR

Will we be a people who EMBRACE earthly glory?

Let’s Pray...

Lord’s Table

This brings us to the Lord’s Table…

a time for each of us to reflect on our lives, to examine ourselves spiritually, and to remember the cost of our faith.

We were bought with a price, and these elements remind us of this.

1. Have you experienced the Saving Power of Christ at the cross?

- I ask because IF you haven't...you should not partake.

The Bible says not to take this lightly.

Scripture says –

1 Corinthians 11:27–28 ESV

27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

If you haven’t SURRENDERED to Christ, then don’t come and partake,

BUT - know this -

TODAY is the day of SALVATION!

You can leave here today KNOWING that when you die, you will inherit eternal life...

Bad News (Romans 3:23 / Romans 6:23)

Good News of Christ

2. If you are a child of God - Saved from your sins by the Blood of Christ...then I ask - Are you seeking to KNOW HIM more?

Not MAINLY by working for God

Not MAINLY by DOING things FOR Him...

BUT... by seeking to know Him more IN HIS WORD...

by seeking to know Him more through prayer...

by seeking to know Him more through life in the Body...

Take time now and examine yourself before the Lord.

Mark 14:22–25 ESV

22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

“Do this in remembrance of me”...