Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:9 The Danger Of God’s Word Being Choked Out of Our Lives

The Danger Of God’s Word Being Choked Out of Our Lives 19 Nov 17

The painting The Moneylender and His Wife by the Renaissance artist Quentin Matsys pictures a man and his wife seated behind a table. The man is busy weighing the pearls, the jewels, and pieces of gold on the table in front of him. His wife is distracted by the gold coin in her husband’s hand from reading her Christian devotional book with a picture of Mary and the baby Jesus in front of her. This is a picture illustrating what Jesus warned us about in the parable of the sower. The good seed of the Word of God can be choked out by the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches ().

I. Oppression –

A. Injustice

1. The perversion of justice where the needs of people are not the focus but profits

2. Structures that keep the poor from advancing

3. The poor suffer the most and they would oppress others if they could

B. Bureaucracy

1. High official watches over high official

2. Higher official watches over them both

II. No Satisfaction – ;

A. Does money really bring fulfillment? – and 6:7

1. The love of money is the root of all evil –

2. Book by Rabbi Kushner, “When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough”

3. The pang of discontent when we cannot afford something we want to buy or of conscience when we bought it anyway

4. The danger of a wandering appetite –

5. We cannot serve both God and money –

B. The risks of prosperity

1. More people to care for –

2. Sleeplessness –

3. Hoarding – Ecclesiastes – 5:13-14

4. Be rich toward God –

5. The wealthy often do not enjoy life or the good gifts God gives –

6. Wealth is a gift from God –

7. You can’t take it with you – and

8. The testimony of the Psalmist –

III. Joy –

A. God gives joy as well as money

1. Enjoy the good of your labor –

2. Serve with what God gives –

3. Rejoice in the Lord –

4. The sleep of the laborer is sweet –

B. Seek first the kingdom

1. All these things will be added unto you –

2. The danger of trusting in riches is that it restrains you from trusting in God –

Confess the emptiness you feel and turn to Jesus Christ. Do not let the cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches choke out the Word of God in your life.