Finding the Real Meaning in Life

Finding The real Meaning In Life

Text: Ecclesiastes 1:1-2
PPHC – September 16, 2007 A.M.

INTRO: One of the funniest catchphrases of recent years is from an old Wendy’s commercial. An elderly woman and her friends open their hamburger buns and found them virtually bare. The perceptive old lady, who was able to see beyond the obvious, asked, "Where’s the beef?"

Many people ask this same question about life. Sandwiched between birth and death, and, often find themselves in a sandwich without substance--a sandwich with no meat. Struggling to find identity, to find meaning in life, they ask, "Where’s the beef?"

ILL: To many, life is like a touchdown scored after the whistle has blown. They fight to gain ground. They struggle to get to the end-zone. They score that touchdown, achieve their victory in life, only to discover that it doesn’t count. Maybe your have felt that--that life is all pushing for yardage but never making a first down, reaching for the long pass but having it intercepted.

Striving for the meaning in life is often frustrating. Leading us to give in to so many temptations in hopes of bringing satisfaction. This is exactly what Satan wants. He will try every trick in the book to find the crack in a believer’s armor. And no matter what his method, his goal is simple: to keep the believer from finding the real meaning in life.
The whole book of Ecclesiastes is dedicated to exploring the difference between life and existence. God chose Solomon to write this important book. Looking back in his life Solomon was asking, "Who am I?", "Why am I here?", "Where am I going?"
Eccl. 1:2
He begins this book by stating that all is empty, vain, without substance. But lets not stop there He does have a positive message for each of us no matter what our age or lifestyle.

He tried it all and evaluates three of the major themes in life.

I. Does Enjoyment Provide Purpose? 2:1
A. I sought in my heart to give myself unto wine" vs.3
1. He would’ve been at home in our society…
a. Today we have many extra drugs to try… or we can unwind with….
b. An alcoholic beverages…(some that goes down smooth, some with some kick in it,

it’s marketed as refreshing, taken from the mountains’ purest streams, aged for the best taste possible)

2. He was a thrill seeker. Trying to fill a void in his life. (trying to find solutions; bigger problems.)
a. However many will never live long enough to experience victory or defeat.
b. 4.6 million adolescents from 14-17yrs. experience the negative consequences of alcohol each year. Yet, it’s nothing new. (vs.1 - All it vanity).
B. I made me great works - vs.4-10
1. There was nothing he didn’t do.
2. He didn’t go to the party; he brought the party to himself. But when the party was over, he

was alone.

ILL: Ever wait eagerly for something special then find that when the time came it was really a let down? Ever try to catch the wind? It’s an exercise in frustration. Every time you grab, it slips through your fingers.
3. How many of us like King Solomon are grabbing for things that are impossible to hold onto

and are worthless?

Quote: “This generation has so many new opportunities that previous generations never dreamed. But new opportunities have not given new meaning to life. The mere accumulation of things will not and cannot provide meaning and purpose in life.

All the wealth that Solomon had, he still could only say "Vanity of vanities; all is vanity."

II. DOES Education PROVIDE PURPOSE?
He decided that it is better to be smart than ignorant. So he set out to become well-educated.
A. I turned myself to behold wisdom vs 12-14 (He achieved his goal. I Kings 3:12)

1. Did his vast knowledge and wisdom give him a reason for living? No. In fact, it probably made him even more miserable. He realized that his fate was no different than that of the biggest fool in town. In spite of his knowledge and riches he would still die just like the poor ignorant bum in the gutter.

2. His Ph.D. in world knowledge was no protection from life’s misfortunes and from death. He

decided that education, too was vanity.
B. NOTE: Let me point out that even though one cannot find the true meaning of life in

education, an education is still essential in life.
1. We live in a highly educated society. Knowledge has abounded.
2. Without at least a high school education a person will find it extremely difficult to find a

satisfying job of any kind.
3. There is no denying that education is very important, but the point that Solomon was making

when he wrote these words is that though education can improve the quality of life, in itself cannot make life worth living.

III. DOES Employment PROVIDE PURPOSE?
He decided that if pleasure or education does not provide purpose, maybe employment might fill the void in his life.
He turned his attention to his job. He had the greatest job in the world. He was the king of a great nation with great wealth and great wisdom. People came from all over the world to meet and talk with him. His work must have given him great purpose to his life…RIGHT? – WRONG!
A. Yea, I hated all my labor - vs. 17,18
1. I am breaking my neck to build up Israel, and when I die somebody is going to take my

place. Who knows what he will do with my kingdom?

B. Worldy pursuits are unprofitable when made by man - 3:9

· “But these earthly pursuits, while lawful in their season, are “unprofitable” when made by man, what God never intended them to be, the chief good.”

1. Solomon had tried to create an artificial forced joy.

a. The result, therefore, of his labor to be happy, out of God’s order, was disappointment.

The question lingering in Solomon’s mind was, “What lasting gain has the worker for all his toil?” For every constructive activity there is a destructive one. For every plus a minus. The fourteen positive works are cancelled out by fourteen negatives. So the mathematical formula of life is fourteen minus fourteen equals zero. Man has nothing but a zero at the end of it all.

IV. AN ANSWER: ETERNITY IN THEIR HEARTS 3:11
This is the answer to Solomon’s search and ours for meaning in your life.

“…also He has put eternity in their hearts…” NKJ

A. World - ages - eternity.
1. This means that within each person’s soul, there is a big question mark (a void)

a. People all over the world are looking for a god to fill the void. Without that, life has no purpose, no meaning. As Solomon said all is vanity, or emptiness.

So the question remains in your life. "Where’s the beef?"

The fact is without God, your life is just like the one Solomon described in Eccl..-- vanity, and emptiness. Pleasure, education, the job, wealth—these alone, can never give life meaning.

2. People are trying different solutions but there is only one Answer….

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10