“There Goes My Life”

A couple had been married for 50 years. "Things have really changed," she said. "You used to sit very close to me."

"Well, I can remedy that," he said, moving next to her on the couch.

"And you used to hold me tight."

"How's that?" he asked as he gave her a hug.

"Do you remember you used to nudge my neck and nibble on my ear loves?"

He jumped to his feet and left the room. "Where are you going?"

"I'll be right back," he said. "I've got to get my teeth!"

Anne Widdecombe, Shadow Home Secretary in the British House of Commons - Let's face it, we are not a happier society as a result of the liberalisation of the seventies. We have record rates of divorce, record rates of suicide, record rates of teenage pregnancy, record rates of youth crime, record rates of underage sex. We should invite people to recognise that the Great Experiment has failed. You cannot have happiness without restraint.

It is amazing. We just can seem to be happy the way we are today. Just cant be content. Blondes want to be brunettes, brunettes want to be blonde, tall people want to be taller, short people want to be tall. People wish they had a different name, different eye color and for our purposes today… young people want to be older and older people want to be younger. Young people wish that they were older so that they could do more, experience more, even young girls and guys even try with makeup to make themselves look older. The young are in such a hurry to grow up. And the grown ups? They want to do all that they can to be young.

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, surgeons perform more than ten million cosmetic procedures each year, almost none of them medically necessary. One of the reigning idolatries of modern times—the cult of youth. For people who know they are getting older, worshiping this god or goddess demands endless efforts to stay young.

Whether we are young or old, somewhere in between, Ecclesiastes brings us wonderful insight here. Solomon urges us to celebrate the joys of life at any age. No matter what age we are today Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.

Whether she knows it or not, Teitell is confronting one of the reigning idolatries of modern times—the cult of youth. For people who know they are getting older, worshiping this god or goddess demands endless efforts to stay young. But many young people worship the same deity. Rather than respecting their elders, they look down on people or ideas that seem old-fashioned. They want everything new and trendy. It is hard for them to imagine that they will ever grow old. Given the choice, some would rather die first.

Whether we are young or old or somewhere in between, Ecclesiastes can help us. The Preacher who wrote this book teaches us to celebrate the joys of life at any age. But he is also honest about the troubles that come with growing old. By the wisdom of the Spirit, he gives a series of calls that can help us live well, however young or old we happen to be—two calls to rejoice,

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 263). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (pp. 263–264). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 264). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Ecclesiastes 11:7–10 NLT

Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning. When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life. But let them also remember there will be many dark days. Everything still to come is meaningless. Young people, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless.

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

Good Advice for the Old

Good Advice for the Young

Good News for Us All

The first thing we will explore in this passage is the exhortation and warning given to those who have lived many years. The second thing we will uncover is the exhortation and warning given to those who have not lived many years. Finally in light of all the good advice given to us, it is clear that we will find the greatest reason to rejoice is not in good advice, but the good news of the Gospel of Jesus.

Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause some of us to be discontent with our season in life, but it is because of the Light of Jesus that we can find life and life more abundant no matter what the time in life, over the hill or not, we always have the wonderful news of the Gospel.

I. Good Advice for the Old

- What a Joy it is to live many years.

A. The first exhortation

The first call is to rejoice in the goodness of life, even though life is vanity. Yes, “Light is sweet.

Ecclesiastes 11:7

Ecclesiastes 11:7 NLT

Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 264). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

B. This call is especially for the older—people who have lived “many years.” It is good to find joy in the pleasures of life. Many things in life are “sweet,” like the taste of golden honey, sweet cream ice cream from cold stone, the sweet spot on the golf club when you hit the ball perfectly, the sweet spot in a room when the music sounds the best or the act of someone sewing patches on your jujitsu gi. Yes many things in life are also bright—the first ray of sunshine that hits the water of Makapu’u beach in Hawaii, a full rainbow shining against dark clouds in the smokey mountains, the bright blazing campfire on a warm summer’s night at Maroon Bells Colorado, or the twinkling Christmas lights of home after a long day of shopping. How sweet life is, and how bright are its many blessings.

This call is especially for old people—people who have lived “many years.” It is good to find joy in the pleasures of life. Many things in life are “sweet,” like the taste of golden honey or the soft fold of skin on a baby’s neck or the sound of the sweet spot on a baseball bat when it connects for a home run. Many things in life are also bright—the first shaft of morning sunshine over a shimmering sea, a full rainbow against dark clouds, a blazing campfire on a warm summer’s night, the twinkling lights of home after a long journey. How sweet life is, and how bright are its many blessings!

C. What a joy it is to live for many seasons in life—not only because we have more time to serve the Lord in sowing and reaping for the kingdom of Christ, but also because we have more opportunity to enjoy the goodness of life. Hear the words of one old saint who was feeling the effects of his age. When worried that he might be discouraged, he said, “Not at all, because with the Lord, life gets better and better!”

!

Psalm 91:16 NLT

I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 264). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

D. So what should we do with long life? The right way to respond is to rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.

What a joy it is, therefore, to live for many years—not only because we have more time to serve the Lord in sowing and reaping (see ), but also because we have more opportunity to enjoy the goodness of life. I often remember the words of one old saint who was feeling the effects of his age. When I worried that he might be discouraged, he said, “Not at all, because with the Lord, life gets better and better!” For the faithful believer, long life is a blessing from God ().

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 264). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

- Praise God for the goodness of life and life more abundant that we have been given.

- Praise him for everything sweet and yummy we eat and everything light and bright we see.

E. The living God is the Lord of light. When he said, “Let there be light!” there was light, and that light has been shining ever since. According to the prophets...

Malachi 4:2 NLT

“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.

F. Now the God of light deserves our praise and he is worthy of our praise.

G. However, even as we rejoice, we need to remember that there is more that happens in life than sweetness and light, which is something that Solomon never lets us forget. If we live for “many years,” he says, “the days of darkness will be many,” and sooner or later we will taste what is bitter in life as well as what is sweet.

- Sooner or later we will suffer loss, sadness, disappointment, pain, injustice, and grief.

- Sooner or later we will experience ongoing change, the ongoing frustration of the circle of life, the ongoing treadmill of life, realizing for all time that life under the sun is like trying to catch a mist or a vapor.

H. Solomon asserts, “All that comes”—including the years when we are old and gray—“is vanity.” At the beginning of Ecclesiastes we were told that “all is vanity.”

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 265). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

I. Some commentators think the Preacher is confused here, that he is “giving the contradictory advice that his reader should both enjoy life but also remember that he is going to die.” This is not confusion but clarity. Ecclesiastes gives us a realistic view of life that is joyful about its happy pleasures while at the same time sober about its many sorrows.

Some commentators think the Preacher is confused here, that he is “giving the contradictory advice that his reader should both enjoy life but also remember that he is going to die.” This is not confusion but clarity. Ecclesiastes gives us a realistic view of life that is joyful about its happy pleasures while at the same time sober about its many sorrows. The book steadfastly refuses to show us anything less than the whole of life as it actually is.

J. When the Preacher tells us that we will have many dark days, he is not being cynical or trying to rob us of all our joy. Instead he is telling us to enjoy life as much as we can for as long as we can. “The days of darkness” qualify what he says about rejoicing in the light, but they do not negate it.

K. To the end of our days there is sweetness in the world, and therefore we are called to rejoice. Do not take life for granted. Do not complain about all your problems, the way older people sometimes do. But greet each new day the way the Psalmist did, saying, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” ().

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 265). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

L. The great evangelist George Whitefield was relating the difficulties of the gospel ministry to some friends. He said that he was weary of the burdens and was glad that his work would soon be over and that he would depart this earthly scene to be with Christ. The others admitted having similar feelings -- all except one, a Mr. Tennant. Noting this, Whitefield tapped him on the knee and said, "Well, Brother Tennant, you are the oldest among us; do you not rejoice to think that your time is so near at hand when you will be called Home?" 

The old man answered bluntly that he had no wish about it. When pressed for something more definite, he added, "I have nothing to do with death. My business is to live as long as I can, and as well as I can, and serve my Savior as faithfully as I can, until He thinks it's time to call me Home." Whitefield accepted that word as a gentle rebuke from the Lord, and it helped him go on with his work calmly and patiently. 

II. Good Advice for the Young

- Young people enjoy many blessings in life.

A. The call to rejoice is not just for the older but also for youngsters. While older people are to praise God for the length of their days, young people are to praise God for the strength of their youth.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 265). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

B.

Ecclesiastes 11:9 NLT

Young people, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do.

B. Young people enjoy many blessings in life. They have fewer of the cares that come with having adult responsibilities. Their bodies are strong and getting stronger. They heal fast. Their hearts are full of good cheer and lots and lots of laughter. The future is full of all kinds of possibilities. There is freedom to take risks and time to go a different direction. Young people still dream that they can make a difference. These are reasons for the young to rejoice.

Young people enjoy many blessings in life. They have fewer of the cares that come with having adult responsibilities. Their bodies are strong and getting stronger. Their hearts are full of good cheer and easy laughter. The future is full of possibilities. There is freedom to take risks and time to go a new direction in life. Young people still dare to dream that they can make a difference in the world. These are all reasons for the young to rejoice.

C. And yet once again the Preacher sounds a cautionary note. What he says about following one’s heart might lead some people to think they can do whatever they please; they can do what they want. But they are led to think mainly of themselves. They expect everyone else to operate on their schedule. We gotta live for the moment. Live a little. Living for the moment, they do not stop to think about the consequences of their actions.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 265). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

And yet once again the Preacher sounds a cautionary note. What he says about following one’s heart might lead some people to think they can do whatever they please, which frankly is the way many young people operate. They think mainly of themselves. They expect everyone else to operate on their schedule. Living for the moment, they do not stop to think about the consequences of their actions. They buy on impulse. Rather than cleaning up after themselves, they leave a mess behind. They take the immediate pleasure of sex without making the long-term love commitment of marriage. To make it clear, then, that young people are called to holiness, the Preacher says, “Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment” ().

- The young buy on impulse. Rather than cleaning up after themselves, they leave a mess. They take the immediate pleasure of sex without making the long-term love commitment of marriage. But there is a warning. The Preacher says, “Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.”

D. Solomon is well aware that young people face many temptations. Clearly, he also believes that God is a righteous judge who will hold every one of us accountable for what we do. He gives us a really good key… He reminds us that every time we follow our hearts and do what looks good to us, we have to answer to God for what we have done. Young people, beware of “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.”

E. The word “judgment” at the end of verse 9 is literally “the judgment,” and thus it may refer to the last of all judgments—the great day when “God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.” That day may seem like it is a long way off—too far to make any difference in our daily decision-making.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (pp. 265–266). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

The word “judgment” at the end of verse 9 is literally “the judgment,” and thus it may refer to the last of all judgments—the great day when “God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (). That day may seem like it is a long way off—too far to make any difference in our daily decision-making. But the Judge is always near. He sees everything that we do. God “looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens” (). This means that everything we do and everything we decide matters for eternity. How we spend our money, what we do with our bodies, the way we use our time, what we decide about our future, how we handle our relationships—what we touch, taste, hear, and see—all of this matters to our Judge and therefore ought to matter to us as well.

Reminder, the Judge is always near. He sees everything that we do.

Job 28:24 NLT

for he looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens.

- This means that everything we do and everything we decide matters for eternity. How we spend our money, what we do with our bodies, the way we use our time, what we decide about our future, how we handle our relationships—what we touch, taste, hear, and see—all of this matters to our Judge and therefore ought to matter to us as well.

F. Rejoice but we need to be responsible. Enjoy life’s pleasures, but not in sinful ways. Celebrate the gift of youth, but at the same time follow God’s command to “flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

III. Good News for Us All

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 266). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

- Salvation is here for us all.

A. In the end Solomon shows us that all is meaningless anyway. But he does tell us to enjoy the good things in life. But again, the problem. There will always be dark days. For many of us who have lived many years we have already experienced many dark days. Well, Solomon, inspired by God, tells us that there are still more of these days ahead of us.

B. Young people, there are dark days ahead and many more after that. So both young and old, enjoy your season in life, but remember we have to give an account. That’s the advice. But that advice kinds become the problem huh. There is a wrestling match happening to all of us. We parents have to deal with it when it comes to our kids. We want you to be happy, but we also want you to be good.

C. Isn’t that the problem with sin in us? The problem is that many times being bad is what makes us happy. Being good isn’t all that fun. That is why it is not gonna be a fun time when we stand before the judge at the end of the age. We all will have to give an account for everything that we have done. Both young and old. Here is another thing to get our attention for those who have lived many years… there is probably a-lot more that we will be held accountable for. But don’t relax to much young ones… all it takes is to break one of the commands of God and you will be as guilty as someone who has broken all of them.

D. And so when we give an account for it all… what happens? Judgment. The Bible makes it very clear. The wages of sin, the penalty of sin is death. Eternal destruction. The place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is the Word of God. So Shane do you got some good advice for us. No. I got something better. I got good news for ya.

E. Our Lord made a way for us. You see throughout all of scripture, he always makes a way for his people. And what did he do for us? He sent His Son Jesus to bring us salvation. Go so loved the World ...

F. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance … Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures … Jesus lived the life we should have lived and died the death we should have died to give us a life we should not have a life we did not deserve. That is our gracious Lord Jesus.

G. The promises continue today. All who call upon the name of the Lord… If you confess with your mouth and believe in your hearts...

H. This is the good news of the Gospel… good news for both young and old. Sure while we are here under the sun there will be dark days ahead. Rejoice because in Christ, these are the days the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it.