Sermon Tone Analysis

He told me that he had been in situations so deep and dark that it was almost impossible to keep from becoming disoriented and confused.

What a terrifying feeling—being under water, unable to see your hands in front of your face, not knowing which way is up, panic engulfing you.

I immediately interrupted my friend, "So what did you do?"

Undoubtedly Qoheleth would have sympathized with the frustration that Samuel Johnson felt when he finally published his famous dictionary.

By the time he was finished with his lexical masterpiece, Dr. Johnson had a definition for nearly every word in the English language.

Yet not for a moment did he think that he knew all the answers.

Here is what he wrote in his preface: “I saw that one enquiry only gave occasion to another, that book referred to book, that to search was not always to find, and to find was not always to be informed; and that thus to pursue perfection was … to chase the sun.”

So it was for the Preacher.

Looking for the meaning of life was like chasing the sun.

This helps us understand Ecclesiastes.

It is not the kind of book that we keep reading until we reach the end and get the answer, like a mystery.

Instead it is a book in which we keep struggling with the problems of life, and as we struggle, we learn to trust God with the questions even when we do not have all the answers.

This is how the Christian life works: it is not just about what we get at the end, but also about what we become along the way.

Discipleship is a journey, and not merely a destination.

"Feel the bubbles," he said.

"Feel the bubbles?"

I asked.

"That's right.

When it's pitch black and you have no idea which way to go, you reach up with your hand and feel the bubbles.

The bubbles always drift to the surface.

When you can't trust your feelings or judgment, you can always trust the bubbles to get you back to the top."

[As Christians] we need a way to determine what is real and true.

Sometimes in life we get disoriented and desperate.

At other times, we find ourselves drifting aimlessly.

God knew that we would need advice and instructions about how to live.

In the 66 books of the Bible we have a reality library—stories, letters, guidelines, and examples from God that tell us what is true and real.

Ecclesiastes 9:

After all Solomon had been through so far it seems all there is, is more frustration.

The deeper he goes it seems the deeper it gets.

He could have sympathized with the frustration that good ole Samuel Johnson felt when he finally published his famous dictionary.

By the time he was finished with his lexical masterpiece, Dr. Johnson had a definition for nearly every word in the English language.

Yet not for a moment did he think that he knew all the answers.

Here is what he wrote in his preface: “I saw that one enquiry only gave occasion to another, that book referred to book, that to search was not always to find, and to find was not always to be informed; and that thus to pursue perfection was … to chase the sun.”

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Undoubtedly Qoheleth would have sympathized with the frustration that Samuel Johnson felt when he finally published his famous dictionary.

By the time he was finished with his lexical masterpiece, Dr. Johnson had a definition for nearly every word in the English language.

Yet not for a moment did he think that he knew all the answers.

Here is what he wrote in his preface: “I saw that one enquiry only gave occasion to another, that book referred to book, that to search was not always to find, and to find was not always to be informed; and that thus to pursue perfection was … to chase the sun.”

So it was for the Preacher.

And so it continues to be for us.

Looking for the meaning of life was and is like chasing the sun.

This is the essense of Ecclesiastes.

It is not the kind of book that we keep reading until we reach the end and get the answer, like a mystery.

We don’t find out who did it.

The end is the need for more faith and trust.

Instead it is a book in which we keep struggling with the problems of life, and as we struggle, we learn to trust God with the questions even when we do not have all the answers.

This is how the Christian life works: it is not just about what we get at the end, but also about what we become along the way.

Discipleship is a journey, and not merely a destination.

Lets look at this a bit more.

Ryken, P. G. (2010).

Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (pp.

201–202).

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

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

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

In God’s Hands

The Same Fate

Better to Be Alive

Different Fate in the Same Hands

Life After Death

The first thing we will look at is how we all fall into the sovereign hands of God we just don’t know if we will be seen as friend or foe.

Second, we see the frustration of Solomon when he witnesses the same fate for both the righteous and unrighteous and that’s why we don’t know if we are friend or foe.

Finally, because of what Christ has done for us, we know that we will have a different fate from the unrighteous when we fall into the hands of the living God.

Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to fall into more confusion and despair because of our human limitations, it is our Lord Jesus who brings to us the light of revelation to bring us out of darkness and show us how His word and work saves us from death and condemnation and brings us life and life more abundant.

I.

In God’s Hands

- He’s got the whole world in His hands.

A. In the opening verses of chapter 9, we see him assert his belief in the sovereignty of God and then wrestle with some of that doctrine’s practical implications.

This is a tough one for us these days.

B.

Ryken, P. G. (2010).

Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p.

203).

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

B. With these words, the Preacher leaves God’s people in God’s hands.

The Bible uses the image of “the hand of God” to express God’s power, love, supervision, and control.

Students of Biblical study… this is what is called an anthropomorphism.

With these words, the Preacher leaves God’s people in God’s hands.

The Bible uses the image of “the hand of God” to express God’s power, love, supervision, and control.

C.

Here the metaphor expresses his sovereign supervision of his people and their actions.

TM Moore - “Each one of us, without regard for what we’ve done in life, or whom we know, or what place we might occupy in our society—each one is in the hand of God, and he decides for each of us just what will be for us throughout our lives.”

Ryken, P. G. (2010).

Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p.

204).

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Here the metaphor expresses his sovereign supervision of his people and their actions.

God

Ryken, P. G. (2010).

Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p.

204).

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

D. In our postmodern world, we do not like the idea of this.

We bring our own meaning, no one tells me what I will do.

I decide my own morals and reality.

The sovereignty of God is a difficult doctrine to accept to day.

But the scriptures are clear in this matter.

We cannot get around it.

So if we have a difficulty with this, we need to ask ourselves why?

The atheistic postmodern philosophies of the world is the reason why we have difficulty with sovereignty.

But Solomon is clear in his acceptance of it.

Everything about us is in the hands of God.

E. But today Christian… glory be to God that we are in His hands today.

There is nothing in this world more beneficial to a Christian than to be in the loving hands of the Lord.

- Rejoice Christian in the hand of God… For the faithful believer in Jesus Christ, the hand of God is an image of comfort and assurance.