Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Anger
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Sadness
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Analytical
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Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Anger
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I) *Why do bad things happen to good people?*
A) File: eccl 8v14ff why bad upon the good 2.doc
B) Audio: Why do bad things happen?
C) Preached: 4~/22~/07
II) *Some basic questions: Some basic answers*.
A) *VT Shootings* – raises questions.
shocking.
emotional.
B) *Why is there evil?* Disobedience to God
C) *Why is there death?*
Because of sin
D) *Why do bad things happen?*
Because of sin – we are inextricably joined in this life.
1) God’s answer to Cain.
2) Ten Commandments: 4 for God, 6 for others.
(a) Jesus’ two commandments.
3) Therefore, our sins affect one another
E) *The ultimate question /– why do bad things happen to good people?/*
Not same Q.
No justice?
No fairness?
1) Let’s ask the wisest man in the world – Solomon
2) He addressed this issue in wrestling with the meaning of life.
III) *READ: Ecclesiastes 9:1-10.*
The problem: The same things seem to happen to everyone whether they are good or bad.
A) The thinking started in the previous chapter: Verse 8:14.
B) But Solomon concludes this is ‘vanity’ in V 8:14.
1) VANITY: meaninglessness, empty.
2) What he means:
(a) Solomon was reflecting upon life – and what a life!
(b) He was seeking what was truly meaningful and worthwhile.
He systematically eliminates topics.
He experienced these things – and they were not the answer
3) What did he see: He notes that there is no pattern, good or bad to either.
God seems to allow good and bad to happen to the good and bad in a random or meaningless fashion.
(a) 9:1 Even the righteous and the wise, even though them and their deeds are in God’s hand, not even they know what lies ahead – either love or hate.
Anything can happen.
(b) 9:2 Good things and bad things come to all, whether good, bad, religious, not-religious, clean or unclean.
(c) We know by our personal observations – he’s right.
(d) What Job must point out to his friends – their error.
4) 8:16 In his search for meaning in life, Solomon tried to figure this out.
(a) But look at 8:17, by God’s design, we cannot figure it out.
So Solomon calls it VANITY.
We cannot answer the question – it will not aid in our quest for meaning in life.
5) *So, why do bad things happen to good people?* or Why do good things happen to bad people?
*Ans.
Unknowable*
(a) *Solomon says that we cannot know*.
(b) */Sum: It’s not what happens to us in this life, it’s what we do with this life./*.
6) *But not all is lost* – there much useful information here.
We are on a need to know basis with God.
To live this life, we do not need to understand the answer to this question – but he does give us what we need to know right here.
(a) Even better than understanding Why is to understand how to deal with it.
God’s Word here is practical.
C) Look at the wisdom of Solomon displayed as he explains what we really need to be thinking about when we observe things like the shootings at Virginia Tech.
HOW TO HANDLE LIFE.
IV) *Endure vv4-6*
A) V4: “Where there’s life, there’s hope” That motto goes as far back as the third century B.C. It’s part of a conversation between two farmers who are featured in a poem by the Greek poet Theokritos.
“Console yourself, dear Battos,” says Korydon. “Things may be better tomorrow.
While there’s life there’s hope.
Only the dead have none.”[1]
B) V4: Better to be a living dog than a dead lion.
Dogs hated.
C) Though we will one day die, we have a ‘living hope.’ 1 Peter 1:3-5.
imperishable inheritance, guarded for a salvation.
1) We have a savior who defeated death for Himself and us.
D) V5-6: The dead cannot add to their reward, their race is over, they can no longer affect their eternal destiny, but the living know that death is coming and we can still make a difference.
E) But we must avoid a false hope, simple positive thinking.
1) Rather a living hope – assurance.
A Spirit within us that testifies that we are children of God.
2) An annoying boldness on ‘reality’ shows.
A self-deception that keeps us from facing reality.
F) True hope is a knowledge.
In the New Testament, the Greek word for hope is just as well translated, expectation.
G) Hope can get us through anything.
However it is God’s intention that we do more then endure, we must enjoy.
V) *Enjoy vv7-10*
A) A recurring theme for Solomon 2:24-25 says, “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil.
This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, *25 *for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?”
1) BEC – “Don’t sit around and brood, get up and live!”
B) Solomon shares several ways to enjoy life: (Wiersbe – BEC)
1) *Enjoy your meals*
(a) Traditional Hebrew meals – lite dinner after dark.
Bread, wine, vegetables, sometimes fish, rarely other meat.
But dark, work is done – family together.
(b) Modern times – one of the primary indicators of how children are being raised.
Very important!
(c) Prov.
15:17 ““Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred”
2) *Enjoy every occasion*
(a) V8: garments white, oil on your head.
Traditionally, white garments (a symbol of joy) and an anointed head were for a special occasion.
Solomon is not being literal – suggesting we attack each day as special.
3) *Enjoy your marriage*
(a) If anyone could say so – Solomon.
“House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.”
Prov.
19:14
(b) Marriage is a commitment to love, which is a verb.
Do we show up every day with our white garment~/anointed head attitude at home?
(c) An event like this past week – don’t you hold one another just a moment longer when you embrace?
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