“End of the Road pt. 2”
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If there is no God, then there is no Judge. If there is no Judge, then there will be no Final Judgment. If there is no Final Judgment, there is no ultimate meaning to life. Nothing matters.
Preaching the Word: Ecclesiastes—Why Everything Matters Chapter 26: The End of the Matter (Ecclesiastes 12:8–14)
If there is no God, then there is no Judge. If there is no Judge, then there will be no Final Judgment. If there is no Final Judgment, there is no ultimate meaning to life. Nothing matters.
This is the logic of Quentin’s argument in After the Fall by Arthur Miller. Quentin says:
For many years I looked at life like a case at law. It was a series of proofs. When you’re young you prove how brave you are, or smart; then, what a good lover; then, a good father; finally, how wise, or powerful.… But underlying it all, I see now, there was a presumption. That one moved … on an upward path toward some elevation, where … God knows what … I would be justified, or even condemned. A verdict anyway. I think now that my disaster really began when I looked up one day … and the bench was empty. No judge in sight. And all that remained was the endless argument with oneself, this pointless litigation of existence before an empty bench.… Which, of course, is another way of saying—despair.
If there is no God to judge the world, then human existence is a pointless litigation that ends in meaningless despair. The Preacher who wrote Ecclesiastes would have agreed. From the beginning of his book he has been saying that if there is no God, there is no meaning. Nothing matters.
If there is no God, then there is no Judge. If there is no Judge, then there will be no Final Judgment. If there is no Final Judgment, there is no ultimate meaning to life. Nothing matters.
This is the logic of Quentin’s argument in After the Fall by Arthur Miller. Quentin says:
For many years I looked at life like a case at law. It was a series of proofs. When you’re young you prove how brave you are, or smart; then, what a good lover; then, a good father; finally, how wise, or powerful.… But underlying it all, I see now, there was a presumption. That one moved … on an upward path toward some elevation, where … God knows what … I would be justified, or even condemned. A verdict anyway. I think now that my disaster really began when I looked up one day … and the bench was empty. No judge in sight. And all that remained was the endless argument with oneself, this pointless litigation of existence before an empty bench.… Which, of course, is another way of saying—despair.
If there is no God to judge the world, then human existence is a pointless litigation that ends in meaningless despair. The Preacher who wrote Ecclesiastes would have agreed. From the beginning of his book he has been saying that if there is no God, there is no meaning. Nothing matters. Lets finish this book today.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (pp. 273–274). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep.
But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out.
That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.
Ecclesiastes
The grass withers the flower fades but the Word of our God stands forever.
The Final Caution
The Final Conclusion
The Final Countdown
The first thing we will look at today is the all important final caution the preacher gives us concerning the Word of God. The second thing we will explore is the all important final conclusion of the preacher urging us to fear God and keep His commandments. Finally, we will see the reality of the final countdown to the judgement of Christ and this is the final point to prove to us why everything matters today.
Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to despair in the meaninglessness of life asserting that nothing matters, it is the reality of Christ and his gospel that opens our hearts and minds to the reality of life and life more abundant rejoicing in the fact that everything matters in Christ.
I. The Final Caution
- Books without end.
A. Here we have a final caution from the Preacher. Do we really understand what it means to build our lives on the Word of God.
The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep.
But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out.
The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep.
B. What Solomon says here is clear and it is confirmed by many. Did you know that in Solomons time already in the ancient world, royal libraries were packed full of books. Did you know that today more than a million new books are published every year. So what the Bible says is true: of the making of many books there is no end, and studying even some of them is enough to wear anyone out.
C. Now he is not saying that we should never read any books or that we should never write any books. We have to always keep this in clear perspective… human wisdom and man-made philosophy are very limited. Of all the books written in recorded human history, how many of them are truly able to teach us about the knowledge of God or the way of everlasting life and all that is required for life and godliness. By far the most important book for us to study is the Bible, including everything written in Ecclesiastes.
What Ecclesiastes says about writing and reading can be confirmed by every scholar who has ever lived. Already in the ancient world, royal libraries were full of books. Today more than a million new books are published every year. So what the Bible says is true: of the making of many books there is no end, and studying even some of them is enough to wear anyone out.
Not that we should never read any books (or write any books, for that matter). There is a place in Christian discipleship for the life of the mind. But we should always remember that human wisdom and man-made philosophy are extremely limited. How many books have been written! Yet how little most of them are able to teach us about the knowledge of God or the way of everlasting life. By far the most important book for us to study is the Bible, including everything written in Ecclesiastes. Therefore, be careful of trying to go farther than the Word of God.
D. The quest for inquiry is endless in our day and age. The questions continue. The questioning continues. In our post-modern culture we find the declaration of there is no such thing as absolute truth … so coming to a final answer is not at all sought and those who speak that way a looked upon with great suspicion. It is a sad thing when we start to believe that the Bible is not enough for us and we begin to seek answers from other sources.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 279). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
E. I was reading an article this past week about how a lot of our knowledge from the Bible is not coming from the Bible. Even the scriptures we quote are not coming from the Bible, but another book we read. Are we spending more time reading books about the Bible or about Christianity more than the Bible itself? A new testament scholar, when discussing why so many of his students struggle with biblical material, wrote, “because they have been trained to be Bible quoters, not Bible readers.”
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 279). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
F. And what do they get many times in these books? Short scriptures taken out of context to be used as a proof text. This is the reason why so many scriptures are quoted out of context today. Especially when the book of Ezekiel is used to develop a successful diet plan to lose weight and the story of David a Goliath is used as a blueprint for successful entrepreneurship for a future fortune 500 company. We learn over time to treat the scriptures this way. Over time we develop an incredible ability to quote scriptures to defend the point we are trying to make that we end up looking at the Bible more like a reference book. It is a book packed full of useful and helpful God-quotes that is to be looked up like a dictionary or an encyclopedia. To find principles of successful living.
G. What happens then is we we struggle to recognize the meta-narrative or the big picture of scripture. We struggle to find the main theme and themes of the scriptures. We struggle to see the progressive arc of progressive revelation and how Ezekiel and the story of David and Goliath do not point us to successful diets, building a successful business, or as principles for success in life. They all are intended to point us to Christ. Let me help us all with this. The Bible is about Christ. The Word and Work of the King of kings. We would see this clearly if we were to understand the Bible as a whole.
H. Are you still seeking spiritual truth? Christ is the end that quest and surrender to the God who knows the answers. Christ is the answer. Do not be like the person Paul warned about in the New Testament—“always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.” Be content with what the Bible says. Do not accept anything less, and do not demand anything more (cf. ).
Are you still seeking spiritual truth? End that quest and surrender to the God who knows the answers. Do not be like the person Paul warned about in the New Testament—“always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth” (). Be content with what the Bible says. Do not accept anything less, and do not demand anything more (cf. ).
II. The Final Conclusion
- Here now is my final conclusion.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 280). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
A. What should we take with us now that we have finished Ecclesiastes. What is the end of the matter? Here it is...
Ecclesiastes
That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.
B. Let’s unpack this. First of all fear God. Now remember, this is not the first time that Ecclesiastes has told us to fear God. Remember that to fear God is, simply, to honor and revere him, to worship him as God. Remember that Solomon has told us to fear God because his work is eternal and because he demands holy worship. He has told us to fear God in times of adversity as well as prosperity. He has told us that if we do fear God, it will go well with us.
his is not the first time that Ecclesiastes has told us to fear the living God. To fear God is to honor and revere him, to worship him as God. At various points the Preacher has told us to fear God because his work is eternal (3:14) and because he demands holy worship (5:7). He has told us to fear God in times of adversity as well as prosperity (7:14–18). He has told us that if we do fear God, it will go well with us (8:12). Now we are told to fear God and to obey him because one day we will stand before him for judgment.
C. He says that fearing God and keeping His commands is Kol Ha Atham. It is translated here as this is everyones duty, but it is more beautiful than this. Literally… “this is the whole of man.” So we understand it more this way… “this is all there is to man.” So mankind listen up…fearing God and keeping His commands is all there is to life.
D. The most important thing for any person to do is to worship God and obey his holy commandments. So you see... it is more than simply a man’s duty.
- Charles Bridges, it is “his whole happiness and business—the total sum of all that concerns him—all that God requires of him—all that the Savior enjoins—all that the Holy Spirit teaches and works in him.” The greatest thing in life is to come before the one true God in worship and obedience.
E. Honoring God. Revering God. Worshipping God. And Loving God and our Neighbor is the summary of the commands of God. This is the meaning of life. This is why it matters today. This is the whole of man. It is the reason why we exist. No other reason. No other end in sight. Fearing God and keeping His commands is all there is. That is our purpose. Glorifying God and enjoying Him forever is my chief end.
F. Because I know that my only comfort in this life is That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.
He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,4 and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.5 He also watches over me in such a way6 that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven;7 in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.8
G. But to solidify this important and beautiful conclusion Solomon, inspired by God, takes it to the final step. Know this…whether we are ready to come before God now or hope to avoid it, the truth is that one day every one of us will stand before God for … judgment.
Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life9 and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.10
III. The Final Countdown
Whether we are ready to come before God now or hope to avoid it, the truth is that one day every one of us will stand before God for judgment.
- “Life down here is only a prelude to a greater life in the hereafter.”
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 280). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
A. One day God will expose every secret sin and uncover every anonymous kindness. He will bring every last deed to judgment, whether it is good or evil, including every casual thought and every careless word (see ). He “will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart” (). This brings a whole bunch of meaning. Now human life is not pointless. Judgement is real. There is no meaningless despair. Now everything matters.
One day God will expose every secret sin and uncover every anonymous kindness. He will bring every last deed to judgment, whether it is good or evil, including every casual thought and every careless word (see ). He “will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart” ().
B. Why does Ecclesiastes tell us about the final judgment here? Because it means that everything matters. The Preacher began and ended his spiritual quest by saying that everything is vanity and that without God there is no meaning or purpose to life. “Is that all there is?” he kept asking. “Isn’t there more to life than what I see under the sun?” If there is no God, and therefore no final judgment, then it is hard to see how anything we do really matters. But if there is a God who will judge the world, then everything matters.
C. This is not all there is. There is a God in Heaven who rules the world. There is a life to come after this life. One day the dead will be raised and every person who has ever lived will stand before God for judgment. When that day comes, it will be revealed that everything anyone ever did or said or thought has eternal significance.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (pp. 280–281). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 281). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
This is not all there is. There is a God in Heaven who rules the world. There is a life to come after this life. One day the dead will be raised and every person who has ever lived will stand before God for judgment. When that day comes, it will be revealed that everything anyone ever did or said or thought has eternal significance.
D. At the final judgment, it will matter how we used our time, whether we wasted it on foolish pleasures or worked hard for the Lord. It will matter what we did with our money, whether we spent it on ourselves or invested it in the eternal kingdom. It will matter what we did with our bodies—what our eyes saw, our hands touched, and our mouths spoke. Whether we obeyed our father and mother will matter; so will the look we gave them and the little comment we made as we were walking away. What we did for a two-year-old will matter—the way we made time for her and got down on her level. What we said about someone else’s performance will matter—the sarcastic remark or the word of genuine praise. The proud boast and the selfless sacrifice will matter. The household task and the homework assignment will matter. The cup of water, the tear of compassion, the word of testimony—all of it matters.
E. The final message of Ecclesiastes is not that nothing matters but that everything does. What we did, how we did it, and why we did it will all have eternal significance. The reason everything matters is because everything in the universe is subject to the final verdict of a righteous God who knows every secret.
The final message of Ecclesiastes is not that nothing matters but that everything does. What we did, how we did it, and why we did it will all have eternal significance. The reason everything matters is because everything in the universe is subject to the final verdict of a righteous God who knows every secret.
F. And that is the bad news. We will be judged for all the good and the bad. Oh but Shane I did lots of good. But what does God conclude about our righteousness?
We are all infected and impure with sin.
When we display our righteous deeds,
they are nothing but filthy rags.
Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,
and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
G. Shane man… I know my life. I know what I have done. I know I have sinned. I see now that everything matters and I will stand before God in Judgement. Is there any hope for me? YES.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
H. Into this vain vapor filled world the Savior came. Like us, he suffered all of its futility and frustration. But Jesus did more. When the time was right, he took the judgment that we deserve by dying for our sins on the cross. His body returned to the dust, like the Preacher said. But on the third day he rose again, bringing life out of the grave.
Into this vain world the Savior came. Like us, he suffered all of its futility and frustration. But Jesus did more. When the time was right, he took the judgment that we deserve by dying for our sins on the cross. His body returned to the dust, like the Preacher said. But on the third day he rose again, bringing life out of the grave.
I. In other words, Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures… The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance...
J. If you confess with your mouth… All who call upon the name … Believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God...
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 282). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
K. Soon Jesus will come again, “on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (). The Bible says that God “has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (). When that day comes, everyone who believes in Jesus will stand before the righteous Judge and look into the eyes of a loving Savior. Trust Jesus, whose victory saves us from life’s vanity.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 282). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.