Sermon Tone Analysis

It was once written.

What a marvelous thing a promise is!

When a person makes a promise, she reaches out into an unpredictable future and makes one thing predictable: she will be there even when being there costs her more than she wants to pay.

When a person makes a promise, he stretches himself out into circumstances that no one can control and controls at least one thing: he will be there no matter what the circumstances turn out to be.

With one simple word of promise, a person creates an island of certainty in a sea of uncertainty.

Promises and promise keeping.

In our culture today it seems as if it is to make promises because maybe it is easy to break.

Shane you always get things in writing.

Why?

Because they do not say what they mean and mean what they say.

That’s why.

We all know this.

But this was told to me as a young minister when it comes to working for churches by some older pastors.

Really, you mean people in the house of God do not keep their promises?

People in the house of God do not let their yes be yes and their no be no?

You know this is actually not a new thing.

Solomon saw this, more strange fire, going on in the Worship of God in the temple and addressed it oh so long ago.

Lets take a look at this today.

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

Do What You Say

Mean What You Say

Fear God

The first thing we will look at today is the importance of doing what we say or paying what we vow.

The second point we will explore is how sinful it is to play games with God by not meaning what we say to Him.

Finally we will uncover why in all of this Solomon sums up the best way in worship is to simply fear God, which is half of the final conclusion after all has been heard.

Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to offer strange fire when we lose control of our words especially in the house of God and worship, it is the word and worship of our Lord Jesus which brings us meaningful life and meaningful worship in the Fear of God for all eternity.

I. Do What You Say

The Preacher is concerned not only with how we listen, but also with how we speak.

- The Preacher is concerned not only with how we listen, how we speak, but also doing what we say.

A. So far what Qoheleth has been communicating to us can easily be summed up in a passage in James...

The Preacher is concerned not only with how we listen, but also with how we speak.

B. Now the Preacher wants to communicate something else that can easily be summed up in James...

C.

He wants us to do what we say in light of God’s word.

More literally than do what you say, is pay what you vow.

D. This is clearly declared in the Law of God.

Deuteronomy

E. Now after telling us to listen up and to watch what we say, Solomon now tells us what to do.

He says, “Do what you say.”

Or to be more literally, he says, “Pay what you vow.” Ecclesiastes is now talking about one very specific and pointed kind of talk—the promises that we make before God.

Vows.

Ryken, P. G. (2010).

Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (pp.

124–125).

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

F. Vows were common in the OT.

Especially temple vows which was common when it came to worship and it involved promises to consecrate such things as sacrifices or money to God in return for granting a request in prayer.

So the point of Qoheleth is very simple: if we make a vow, we need to be sure that we do what we say and pay God what we owe.

The point the Preacher makes is very simple: if we make a vow, we need to be sure that we do what we say and pay God what we owe.

Ryken, P. G. (2010).

Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p.

125).

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

G.

The temptation that Solomon is warning against is the worshiper who is trying to avoid fulfilling the vow once the prayer had been answered.

Well it sure is easier to make the promise than it is to keep it.

People do this with God all the time don’t we, especially when we are bargaining with him in prayer.

:

H. Oh Lord if you will forgive me this time, I promise not to do that again.

Oh Lord if you get me through this, I will never drink again.

Lord if you give me more money, I’ll give more to missions.

If you help me through this problem, I will volunteer more time to the church.

If you have ever offered a prayer like that—as many people have—then you also know how easy it is to forget what you promised!

We suffer from amnesia.

When it comes to money, we often suffer from amnesia.

People do this with God all the time don’t we, especially when we are bargaining with him in prayer.

Ryken, P. G. (2010).

Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p.

125).

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

If you have ever offered a prayer like that—as many people have—then you also know how easy it is to forget what you promised!

Before

I.

Many times before we know it, we are committing that same old sin again or being just as selfish with our money or our time as ever, in which case, Solomon is saying, it would be better if we had never made God a promise at all.

Ryken, P. G. (2010).

Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p.

125).

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

J. Jesus told a parable about someone like that.

Ryken, P. G. (2010).

Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p.

125).

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Matthew 21:

K. Solomon would have called the boy a fool because he never did what he said.

It is clear, it is not just our words that we owe to the Lord but also our works.

What we do.

If we tell Him we will do something—if we make a commitment to ministry, or if we pledge to give our money for kingdom work—then we need to do what we promised and pay what we owe.

In fact, Ecclesiastes says that we need to do it without delay.

Following through promptly on our commitments is an important part of practical godliness.

Do what we say and do it quickly.

Do not delay.

II.

Mean What You Say

The Preacher who wrote Ecclesiastes would have called the boy a fool because he never did what he said.

It is not just our words that we owe to God but also our works.

If we tell him we will do something—if we make a commitment to ministry, for example, or if we pledge to give our money for kingdom work—then we need to do what we promised and pay what we owe.

In fact, Ecclesiastes says that we need to do it without delay.

Following through promptly on our commitments is an important part of practical godliness.

- Let us not play games with God.

A. In other words…if you promise something, be a man or woman of your word.

Ryken, P. G. (2010).

Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p.

125).

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

B. In some cases this means that it would be better for us not to promise God anything at all.

Let us not try to make excuses for not honoring it.