Aging is Meaningless Without Jesus

INTRODUCTION

GOOD MORNING

Good Morning CrossPointe

We are continuing our series in Ecclesiastes by looking at 11:9 - 12:8

Next week will be our last sermon in this series

ECCLESIASTES

TWO KEY PHRASES

“Vanity”

Hebrew word is Hevel, meaning smoke or vapor - a poetic way of saying that something is without substance

“Under the Sun”

We have taken to mean, life on earth apart from God and his original design.

FIRST WORDS (Ecclesiastes 1:1-4)

Ecclesiastes 1:1-4

Vanity of vanities says the preacher,

vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

What does man gain by all his toil

at which he toils under the sun?

A generation goes, and a generation comes,

but the earth remains forever.

TRANSITION

AGING

From the beginning of this book, to last week, we’ve seen how the preacher challenges our perspective on life.

Last we talked about seeing the world from a position of youth - to getting older

Think of the popularity of the FaceApp this past week - we laugh at what we might look like when we get old… but we do so from a perspective of youthfulness.

Mariah Carey then tweets, “FaceApp is not something I acknowledge” - as if to say, I will never age.

We desire to hold on to youthfulness for as long as possible.

YOUTHFULNESS

Today’s passage is a challenge to those younger from the perspective or context of age.

Rather than laugh at what the future may hold and do everything in our power to delay its arrival. The preacher in Ecclesiastes invites us to see our lives backwards, from the reality of age and our own death.

Rather than the young, looking old...

Let me show what people in our congregation looked like just a moment ago...

Bob & Coyce Young

Barb Zoeteway

Janet Vennetti

QUOTE

Terry Pratchett, in the Times, said, “Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened.”

Some days I feel old but most of the time I feel the same as when I was young but I see the age spots starting, the skin beginning to lose it elasticity, bones that make sounds when I move.

Some of you are looking at me and thinking - you’re only 43, don’t talk to me about old. Others are like 43, you’re ancient.

TRANSITION

Today’s passage has three commands for those who are young

So who’s young in this context?

Are you breathing?

Can you stand up, mostly straight?

Do you have most of your teeth?

PRAY & READ THE TEXT

“WE WERE YOUNG ONCE...”

3 COMMANDS IN THE CONTEXT OF OLD AGE

3 COMMANDS

Rejoice (9), Remove, (10), and Remember (12:1) (This isn’t just me trying to make everything start with the same letter. This is right in the text)

Context of old age

“WE WERE YOUNG ONCE” STORY

Last year my parents were flying down from West Virginia for our daughters wedding.

He came in with a wheelchair

He slowly made his way to the bathroom and on the way back

He put his hand on his right right shoulder and said, “we were young were once.”

CONTEXT OF AGE

“Evil Days and the years draw near...”

Evil - separated from God because of the fall

“Light is darkened (Sun, moon, and stars)

Eyesight starts to fade

“Keepers of the house tremble”

Arms and hands begin to shake

“Strong men are bent”

loss of strength, bent over

“Grinders cease, because they are few”

Teeth

Rises with the sound of the song bird

Can’t sleep in and wake up numerous times during the night

“Daughters of song are brought low”

Hearing begins to fade

Afraid to go out at night or into crowded places

Almond trees blossom

Blossoms turn white and then the wind blows them away

Hair turns grey and then falls out

The grasshopper drags himself along

Those who once bounded along

Legs and feet begin to ache

Desire fails

sexual drive decreases

“Weeping for those who have died”

Then you die and people cry

Life is broken - water a symbol of life

“Silver cord is snapped”

Spinal cord

golden bowl is broken,

pitcher is shattered,

wheel at cistern is broken”

“Dust returns to dust and spirit returns to God”

“WE WERE YOUNG ONCE” STORY

Last year my parents were flying down from West Virginia for our daughters wedding.

He came in with a wheelchair

He slowly made his way to the bathroom and on the way back

He put his hand on his right right shoulder and said, “we were young were once.”

In light of the fact that you also will become old...

No one can say, “I don’t acknowledge old age” and remain young forever

Wisdom encourages us to see our lives from the perspective of our death and to live accordingly.

REJOICE IN YOUR YOUTH

GOD COMMANDS JOY

Take note that God commands joy, not just duty - but joy

Joy is an act of obedience

Ultimately, this always means - joy in God

Psalm 37:4

Solomon has declared over and over that life is vanity - a chasing after the wind. In what then should we rejoice...

God himself is the only clear answer

If life apart from God is meaningless, then only life with God has meaning and substance

“Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes”

I read commentaries take this is two different directions:

Bucket List - don’t wait, explore, chase the desires of your heart and all the eyes desire

But this seems out of keeping with the rest of the book but there may be some application here.

Serving God - maybe this is over spiritualizing the verse but give God your best years. Give God your zeal and your strength, your heart and your passions while you are young. Don’t wait, don’t delay.

Don’t pressume you have more time, more years to give.

Don’t delay being the kind of man or women you desire

Don’t wait to be the husband, wife, friend, you want to be

"Know that for all these things God will bring you into judgement.”

Rejoice - live for God - because one day he will recall your spirit to himself, your body will turn to dust and you will give an account before God for the days that he gave you.

Sometimes, I presume more time, maybe another 40 years but I’m not guaranteed another second.

REMOVE VEXATION

REMOVE FRUSTRATION & ANGER

Fight against aging

Shaped or Overshadowed

Overshadowed - we live in fear and frustration of growing older - attempting to desperately hold on to youth.

Live in denial that we will age.

Abuse our body, hearing, our knees, our backs

Shaped - The reality of growing old invites us to embrace life with joy and purpose.

PUT AWAY PAIN FROM YOUR BODY

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LIFE WITH GOD - Remember Ecclesiastes

Work, Relationships, Money will not bring you happiness, fulfillment and meaning.

PUT AWAY PAIN FROM YOUR BODY

You only get one body, respect it

Scientists say...

Our bodies begin the process of breaking down in our early 30’s

Our brains start breaking down in our 40’s

PEARL CAVENDER

She’s 95 years old and can no longer see nor is she seen by others. A jewel and treasure of wisdom and love. More value than most all self-help books. She has a spirit like a fire-cracker if you can see beyond her failing body.

I knew I would be preaching this text so I asked what she would say to the young people

Love God more than anything else

Follow after him in all you ways - in your families, in everything

Remember and see those who are older -

We value new, youthful, energic, strong and beautiful

Young men, look at the old men

Titus 2

Young women, new moms - look at those who are older.

APPLICATION

The wisdom of our older generation will help you remove vexation from your life

They will help you see the vanity in the things we can often become focused on

REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR

“YOUR CREATOR”

Who made you?

To whom do you belong?

To whom will your spirit return?

DOES YOUR LIFE REFLECT THIS TRUTH? - QUESTIONS

Eyesight - “Light is darkened”

Pornography, TV, Movies, Reading, looking at someone with Lustful thoughts

Hands & Arms - “keepers of the house”

Working to the

Strength - “bent over”

Teeth - “grinder are few”

Hearing - “songs are brought low”

Energy - “grasshopper drags himself along

Sexual Desires - “desires fade”

CONCLUSION

VANITY OF VANITY, ALL IS VANITY

Youthfulness fades

Hands & Arms - “keepers of the house”

Worship God with all your being, everyday God gives you life.

Strength - “bent over”

Teeth - “grinder are few”

Hearing - “songs are brought low”

Energy - “grasshopper drags himself along

Sexual Desires - “desires fade”

MERCY FOR THE BROKEN

We have all fallen short of God’s perfect commands - “Life under the sun”

We’ve chased smoke

Sought purpose and meaning in things lesser than God himself.

We know this deserves eternal separation from God

He is our Creator, and we’ve ignored him and often find ourselves lost in the complexity and fog of this world. Turn around, surrounded, hopelessly lost

God entered the vanity we’ve made of life, in the person of Jesus Christ, he pierced through the complexities, through the haze and stands their glorious and victorious saying “Come to me all you who weary, and I will give you rest.”

“The darkness of the hevel won’t stop the light from getting through”

A new Creation is coming

FROM BROKENNESS TO REDEMPTION

Is he Worthy?

Do you feel the world is broken?

Do you feel the shadows deepen?

Is anyone worthy and able to bring meaning and substance to the vanities of life?

FROM REDEMPTION TO EXALTATION

He Is!

Jesus is worthy

Because Jesus conquered the grave by rising from the dead

Jesus is worthy to save the lost

Jesus is worthy.