Sermon Tone Analysis

What is our purpose?

Man has always wanted to know what is my purpose?

Why am I here?

And when we seek that it just opens the door for many other questions and we seek the wisdom to be able to answer those questions.

Solomon (Koheleth) shares from his own experiences here in Ecclesiastes so we may learn and apply today.

Stop: ask the question

(What on earth am I here for slide- already saved)

Take a few minutes, that can be an overwhelming task to try to figure it out, can’t it?

As we look at this passage tonight I think you will see it was for Solomon too.

We have already seen the conclusion (Ecc1:2)

He is going to start to develop and proof that statement tonight first in the vanity of earthly wisdom.

Tonight we see the preacher ID and initial quest (Ecc1:12-13)

From the historian in Proverbs to the philosopher here in Ecclesiastes, Solomon the wisest man, wealthiest man with all the resources of the world at hand sets out on a journey, a quest, to see what in life is life worth living for.

He is going to get into some quests, but it starts with stopping to contemplate wisdom, and the meaning of life, and wants to do it from all sides.

May we remember though that he is writing from view of “under the sun” and not from a spiritual view but a worldly wisdom, worldly logic view.

If anyone could find the answers, handle the difficulties in life it would be Solomon the wisest man who ever lived, but as we go through this tonight, see what he tells us, what he discovered and what we can learn.

Other points will cover tonight are

Preachers preliminary conclusion (Ecc1:14-16)

Life doesn’t get any easier if you try to run away from it (v.14)

Not everything in life can be changed (v.15)

Preachers intensified quest (Ecc1:17-18)

So now may we look at the passage in context then we will look at each of the points above.

So now may we look at the passage in context then we will look at each of the points above.

What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?

The Initial Quest

Set your mind.

Solomon, who indirectly identifies himself in the passage set’s his mind, and because he did we can learn what he set his mind on and for and learn from him.

Have you ever set out on a quest?

What kind of quest, and did you find the answer, or achieve the quest?

Let me give you the verses for this initial quest and ask some questions.

What do we learn about the writer?

(He is king; and where he is king)

What is his initial quest?

(wisdom about everything under heaven)

What does he tells us about the quest?

(it is grievous and it is an affliction)

Things seen, things to learn from this.

All the wisdom in the world does not always come with all the answers

God has set , or instilled, in every man the desire to know the answers to life’s ultimate questions.

To know it’s origin, destiny, purpose, and the why and how of things.

But God does not answer all those things so this is a grievous task.

Life is tough, but it is a gift from God

Since the fall of man, man has travailed, looking for the answers.

Solomon acknowledges God here, but he is looking at things from “under the sun” vantage point.

Seeking earthly wisdom to answer the questions, but knows that earthly wisdom is vanity of vanities.

The gift is grievous and we have been afflicted with it (tasked with it) (Gen3:16-19; Rom8:22; Mt6:26)

(add in some note lines on the handout here)

So man rebelled against the commandment of God and sin has entered the world and the results we can see here.

From the perfect relationship with God, walking in the garden to the grievous task that has been given because sin entered the world.

Rom8:

Now we do know that one day the Lord will return or we will pass from our earthly kingdom life to our heavenly kingdom life and there will be no more bondage to the flesh, no more tears, no more pain, no more sorrow.

I recently read this illustration and it is pretty good.

adapted it and made it mine.

Sitting one day in the 4-seasons room contemplating the things done, but more so the things undone, things to do and the burdens of life as a minster, the trials and tribulations people are going through and carry into the office, sometimes it can be overwhelming.

I sit there looking out the window and see the birds gathering at the bird feeder and I can even hear them singing (Ah sounds like Spring is in the air).

It’s beautiful to listen to.

Now the birds task each day is to survive, he hides from his enemies, he searches for food, cares for his little ones and when his day ends he sings about it.

Gives me some perspective that regardless of my day, i should be singing too.

Singing God’s praises!

If God cares for the birds, provides for the birds, he cares and provides for me too.

Jesus goes on to say to carry everything to Him, sometimes we need to get perspective even when we don’t have all the answers, we know the One who does! May we stop and rejoice in Him!

Preliminary conclusion

Have you ever drawn a conclusion only then to have more questions and make more inquires because of your first conclusion?

Solomon is making some preliminary findings to prove his original point that everything is vanity of vanities.

Solomon claims to have seen and done everything under the sun and everything in vanity and striving the wind.

His discovery is that all human work, efforts, endeavors are of no use, they are unsubstantial and ultimately unsatisfying.

No regard for how much, how far you go and check things out, it end result is just fruitless.

Solomon says some things cannot be changed.

Man cannot change the course of events by his power or his intellect.

There are too many problems and events that are unexplainable.

Solomon with all his increased, God given wisdom could not answer life’s hard questions.

All of this, lead to an intensified quest.

Intensified Quest

Ever start searching something out and that leads to more and more searching?

Solomon (Koheleth) continues the quest with more zeal, more intensity.

Let’s glimpse and see what we can learn.

What did he set his mind to know (v.17)?

What does that mean.

Solomon set his mind to know wisdom, and not only that but folly too.

Solomon found like like the original quest it was like striving after the wind, it was fruitles.

He earnestly set out to pursue wisdom and follow to learn.

He wanted to look at all sides of an issue, still trying to answer life’s big questions.

What were the results (v.17)?

Solomon discovers that this quest, from wisdom to folly resulted the same it was like striving after the wind, it was fruitless like the previous of searching out all things.

With all his efforts, with all his earnestness, he could not salve all man’s problems, or answer all man’s questions.

Even with all the wisdom of the world, man cannot control the issues of life

With much wisdom comes what (v.18)?

why do you think that?

Increased wisdom can be frustrating.

It can cause us grief.

The more we know the more fruitless and unsatisfying our work, our efforts, our endeavors can be.

Increased knowledge leads to learning and knowing some unpleasant things, unpleasant realities that can disturb our peace of mind.

With much wisdom comes as we today say “information overload” and we don’t know what to do with all the information, for we cannot change things that we have no control over and oftentimes we worry about things too that we need not worry about.

Wisdom quest conclusion/application

Do you find it interesting that Solomon, the wisest man ever (1Kn4:20-34) sought wisdom?

What is our application from this passage, what conclusion can we draw?

Solomon first sets his heart (mind) to search out wisdom.

His conclusion was it was fruitless like grasping at the wind.

Wisdom is not bad, for there is God given wisdom that we should seek (Pro2:1-9; Jm1:5)

add to that one