“Fame - I Wanna Live Forever”

Does wealth, fame, and success fill the emptiness in the human heart? Two contemporary celebrities who seemed to have everything have shared a similar truth.

First, Thom Yorke, frontman of the band Radiohead, said , "I thought when I got to where I wanted to be, everything would be different. I'd be somewhere else. I thought it'd be all white fluffy clouds. And then I got there. And I'm still here." When the interviewer asked, "Why, in the end, have you done what you've done?" Yorke replied, "It's filling the hole, that's all anyone does."

"What happens to the hole?" the interviewer said. After a long pause, Yorke said, "It's still there."

More recently, when NBA superstar Kevin Durant was asked about his spike in technical fouls and ejections, Durant said, "It's just my emotions and passion for the game … After winning that championship, I learned that much hadn't changed. I thought it would fill a certain [void]. It didn't."

Well I guess fame isn’t all that its cracked up to be. What is it about fame? Fame is deeply attractive because it apparently offers very attractive benefits. So much so that people will go on American Idol and do what we just saw. When you are famous, wherever you go, your reputation will precede you. People will think well of you. You will get warm smiles from admiring strangers.

When you are famous, you are safe from rejection. You won’t have to win over every new person that comes your way. Fame will mean that people will be flattered and excited even if you show slight interested in them. They will be amazed to see you in the flesh and ask to take a photo with you.

When you are famous, no one will be able to afford to upset you. When you’re not happy about something, it will become a problem for others. If you say your hotel room isn’t up to par, the management will panic. Your complaints are taken seriously. Your happiness will become the focus of everyone’s efforts. You’ll be boss. You are famous.

When you’re not pleased with something, it will become a big problem for others. If you say your hotel room isn’t up to scratch, the management will panic. Your complaints will be taken very seriously. Your happiness will become the focus of everyone’s efforts. You will make or break other people’s reputations. You’ll be boss.

Unfortunately, psychologically, we find that the desire for fame comes from the experience of neglect and rejection. It is understood that no one would really want to be famous who hadn’t, somewhere in the past, been made to feel extremely small and insignificant. We sense the need for a great deal of attention when we have been painfully exposed to earlier rejection.

What is common to all the dreams of being famous is that being known to strangers emerges as a solution to a hurt. It presents itself as the answer to a deep need to be appreciated, and to be treated decently by other people. One wants to be famous out of a desire for kindness. If I am famous then people will be nice to me.

The problem is, the worlds kindness to the famous person does not last very long. One the one hand the person just becomes old news and does not appeal to the cultures fascination with novelty. On the other hand the success of any one person involves humiliation for lots of others.

The celebrity of a few people will always contrast painfully with the obscurity of the many. Being famous upsets people. For a time, the resentment can be kept under control, but it is not for very long. So soon enough, the world will start to go through the rubbish bags of the famous, it will comment negatively on their appearance, it will pour over their setbacks, it will judge their relationships, it will mock their new movies or CD’s. The admiration and kindness of others becomes short lived.

So soon enough, the world will start to go through the rubbish bags of the famous, it will comment negatively on their appearance, it will pour over their setbacks, it will judge their relationships, it will mock their new movies.

The irony is that now that there is fame they are now open to more judgement and negative upsetting encounters by even more people then before. The whole world. Needless to say, as a hurt celebrity, one won’t be eligible for sympathy. Because for many the very concept of a hurt celebrity is a joke.

Fame really just means you get noticed a great deal – not that you get understood, appreciated or loved. It does not last long. Solomon saw this years ago. We will take a look at this closer today.

Ecclesiastes 4:13–16 NLT

It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice. Such a youth could rise from poverty and succeed. He might even become king, though he has been in prison. But then everyone rushes to the side of yet another youth who replaces him. Endless crowds stand around him, but then another generation grows up and rejects him, too. So it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.

Ecclesiastes 4:

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

Foolishness

Futility of Fame

The Famous One

The first thing we will look at in our passage today is the foolishness of the unteachable spirit, especially with the older and famous. Second, we will uncover the futility and fleeting nature of fame. Finally we will see the satisfying greatness and everlasting fame of our Famous One Christ the Lord.

Thesis: Though sin and the deceptive pattern of this world causes us to look for lasting satisfaction in fame and find it meaningless, it is the everlasting satisfaction found in Jesus, the famous one, that will bring us the hope and comfort we are looking for.

I. Foolishness

- Smart enough to know I don’t know everything.

A. We have another important juxtaposition. In summary... it is better to lead with a teachable spirit than to be too proud to let anyone teach us anything at all.

The point of this closing comparison is that it is better to lead with a teachable spirit than to be too proud to let anyone teach us anything at all.

B. He tells us a short story. The from rags to riches story. From obscurity to royalty. Now admittedly, its is relatively hard to follow. But this is apparently what happened.

C. A young man unexpectedly rose to power; actually taking the place of the king before him. Though he had been born in poverty, because he was wise and took advice, and even if he was in prison, he rose to the highest office in the land. This new king ruled over a vast empire; there seemed to be no end to the people who followed him. But then his rule would still not last forever. The people will flock to yet another one but even then another generation grows up and rejects him. Solomon says this is all meaningless like trying to herd the wind.

D. And in this story, the first thing we will uncover is the importance of being able to take advice; being teachable. Especially when we are older or famous. Is listening an essential ingredient in the wisdom experience?

This new king ruled over a vast empire; there seemed to be no end to the people who followed him.

Though he had been born in poverty, he rose to the highest office in the land.

1 Kings 3:9 NLT

Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 112). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 112). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

E. Solomon is showing that people who do not listen to advice from others is a fool. And we have countless proverbs that assert this.

Proverbs 20:18 NLT

Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without wise advice.

Proverbs

F. It is implied that in earlier days he had listened to his advisors, but now he kept his own counsel, and for this reason he had ceased to be of any real use to his people. This tragedy has been repeated many times in the history of nations (and also, sadly, in the ministry of the church) as older men cling to positions of power, refusing to let go.

G. This story stands as a warning to us older Christians. We usually think that gray hair brings wisdom, and often it does. But whether they are young or old, the wisest Christians are the ones who listen to counsel and, if necessary, accept correction. At the same time, this verse is an encouragement to younger Christians. Even someone young and poor can do valuable work for the kingdom of God. The way to do such work is not by telling other people what to do or seeking a more prominent position. The way to do it is by having the wisdom to say, “I still have a lot to learn about life and ministry, and when the time is right, God will give me the right place to serve.”

In earlier days he had listened to his advisors, but now he kept his own counsel, and for this reason he had ceased to be of any real use to his people. This tragedy has been repeated many times in the history of nations (and also, sadly, in the ministry of the church) as old men cling to positions of power, refusing to let go.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 113). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

H. The best way to gain this wisdom is by turning to Jesus Christ, the only King whose fame will last forever. The life of the Reformer John Calvin illustrates this principle well. When he described his conversion to faith in Christ, Calvin said that God subdued his mind and brought it to “a teachable frame.” The word “teachable” occurs with some regularity in his famous Institutes of the Christian Religion. A Christian is simply a teachable follower of Christ.

This story stands as a warning to older Christians. We usually think that gray hair brings wisdom, and often it does. But whether they are young or old, the wisest Christians are the ones who listen to counsel and, if necessary, accept correction. At the same time, this verse is an encouragement to younger Christians. Even someone young and poor can do valuable work for the kingdom of God. The way to do such work is not by telling other people what to do or seeking a more prominent position. The way to do it is by having the wisdom to say, “I still have a lot to learn about life and ministry, and when the time is right, God will give me the right place to serve.”

II. The Futility of Fame

The best way to gain this wisdom is by turning to Jesus Christ, the only King whose fame will last forever. The life of the Reformer John Calvin illustrates this principle well. When he described his conversion to faith in Christ, Calvin said that God subdued his mind and brought it to “a teachable frame.” The word “teachable” occurs with some regularity in his famous Institutes of the Christian Religion. A Christian is simply a teachable follower of Christ.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 113). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

- It does not live forever under the sun.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 113). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

A. The lesson here is that fame is fleeting. It is futile. No matter how popular a ruler is, the day will come when someone else takes his place and all his glory fades away. In the end, everyone turns out to be expendable.

Part of the lesson here is that fame is fleeting. No matter how popular a ruler is, the day will come when someone else takes his place and all his glory fades away. In the end, everyone turns out to be expendable.

B. The old king may be past his prime, but the young upstart will not live forever either. According to Derek Kidner, the new king “has reached a pinnacle of human glory, only to be stranded there. It is yet another of our human anticlimaxes and ultimately empty achievements.” We are thus reminded not to put too much stock in earthly position—either our own or anyone else’s.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 113). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

The old king may be past his prime, but the young upstart will not live forever either. According to Derek Kidner, the new king “has reached a pinnacle of human glory, only to be stranded there. It is yet another of our human anticlimaxes and ultimately empty achievements.” We are thus reminded not to put too much stock in earthly position—either our own or anyone else’s.

C. So we work hard to be famous. We get there. But in the end we wont stay there forever. All will soon be rejected and then forgotten. It is a tough deal out there, but then in the end meaningless. I remember the difficulty of staying up there in the band.

D. At a collective, political level we should pay great attention to the fact that, today, so many people (particularly young ones) want to be famous – and even see fame as a necessary condition for a successful life. Rather than dismiss this wish, we should grasp its underlying worrying: they want to be famous because they are not being respected, because citizens have forgotten how to accord one another the degree of civility, appreciation and decency that everyone craves and deserves. The desire for fame is a sign that an ordinary life has ceased to be good enough.

E. But we all think it. Do we ever ask why they want to be famous? Everybody want to be famous.

At a collective, political level we should pay great attention to the fact that, today, so many people (particularly young ones) want to be famous – and even see fame as a necessary condition for a successful life. Rather than dismiss this wish, we should grasp its underlying worrying meaning: they want to be famous because they are not being respected, because citizens have forgotten how to accord one another the degree of civility, appreciation and decency that everyone craves and deserves. The desire for fame is a sign that an ordinary life has ceased to be good enough.

F. To sum up: fame really just means you get noticed a great deal – not that you get understood, appreciated or loved.

G. In 1988 George Harrison, member of the Beatles, told Time magazine:

"At first we all thought we wanted the fame. After a bit we realized that fame wasn't really what we were after at all, just the fruits of it. After the initial excitement and thrill had worn off, I, for one, became depressed. Is this all we have to look forward to in life? Being chased around by a crowd of hooting lunatics from one crappy hotel room to the next?"

H. We don’t encourage fame, but encourage kindness to everyone. The solution is not to encourage ever more people to become famous, but to put massive efforts into encouraging a greater level of politeness and consideration for everyone. But we don’t. We don’t even show kindness in the church today. What happened to brotherly kindness? But if you are famous today, you can teach false doctrine, have an affair, embezzle money, use offering money to buy a personal jet, and get away with it.

I. But it wont help. Fame is not forever. Not gonna be forever. Solomon makes it clear that it will not last forever. Fame under the sun is meaningless. It will not satisfy and it will not last forever.

III. The Famous One

- It is the greatest of fame, the fame of the Son, that will last forever.

A. And today we face a real problem do we not. Foolishness abounds. We have a society of many who will not listen to advice. They will not follow wise counsel. In our individualistic culture, we think we know it all and all for ourselves. We see here again our failure. We see again the effects of the fall, the effects of sin.

B. But we see something awesome in Christ. Even in Christ we see the teachable spirit in our Lord.

Luke 2:52 NLT

Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

C. He listened to his parents. He listened to His Heavenly Father. He followed the leading of the Father all the way to the cross.

D. And also we see the futility of the pursuit of fame. It continues in our world. We will continue to see the effects of it because the world is not a kind place. For many the church is not a kind place. But of course its not, we are all sinners and the effects of sin unfortunately exists. But even if we pursue fame it will not last. It will not satisfy. Many who are famous will testify to it.

E. Fame under the sun is meaningless and temporal, but the fame of the Son is everything and everlasting. The fame of the Son is great and even greater. Everyone, everywhere, at every-time has and will know the name of Jesus.

Philippians 2:10 NLT

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

F. Jesus is the name that is above every name. This is good news. The hope that we have in this word we live in is not fame for ourselves, but the fame of Jesus. The fame of the Gospel. Letting everyone know the Gospel.

G. We may not do a good job of taking good advice, how about hearing some good news. Jesus died for our sins according… The saying is trust worthy… Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost.

H. There are also some wonderful promises … all who call upon the name. If you confess with you mouth ...

I. There is hope for us today. I am confident that the Lord will continue to work in His church and continue to transform us to be loving to one another. To be kind. To show brotherly kindness. And as the Lord continues to transform His church, the church by the power of the Gospel, will transform our society.

J. We progress, we pursue, and we wait for the Lords transformation. To bring about the community of the early church. To have a society and culture where we all show kindness and charity to each other. Though the power of the gospel maybe we can squash the desire to be famous. There wont be a need for it. One day… there wont be.