The Bag of Pleasure (Part 1)
Notes
Transcript
Turn to and read Ecclesiastes 2:1-2. Pray.
As we begin our study tonight, we must continually remind ourselves of what it was that Solomon was searching for: meaning, purpose, fulfillment. He kept coming back to the same conclusion: “All is vanity.”
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Man has tried to be happy without God, and this book [Ecclesiastes] shows the absurdity of the attempt. Solomon, the wisest of men, tried every field of endeavor and pleasure known to man; his conclusion was, “All is vanity.”
As I described it early on, every “bag” that Solomon looked into, in his attempt to find meaning, purpose and fulfillment in life, was empty!
This evening, we will briefly look at the bag of pleasure.
I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
Solomon was going to dump out the bag of mirth to see what was inside. Look ahead to verse 10:
And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
There are several words which Solomon uses in these verses: mirth, pleasure, laughter, joy.
How would you describe those words?
Mirth: Social merriment; hilarity; high excitement of pleasurable feelings in company; noisy gayety; jollity. mirth differs from joy and cheerfulness, as always implying noise.
Some of my most treasured memories as a boy were those times when my family gathered together at my grandmother’s home at Christmas. And, generally, those gatherings were accompanied with some noise!
Pleasure: The gratification of the senses or of the mind; agreeable sensations or emotions; the excitement, relish or happiness produced by enjoyment or the expectation of good; opposed to pain.
Who here has not experienced the pleasure of eating their favorite meal? For me, it’s a pleasure to go back to Marshalltown, Iowa and enjoy the pleasure of eating a Maid-Rite; a taco pizza from Zeno’s; some Anderson Ericson Party Dip; an order of Potato Oles from Taco Johns. Those things give me pleasure!
Laughter: Convulsive merriment; an expression of mirth peculiar to man, consisting in a peculiar noise and configuration of features, with a shaking of the sides and expulsion of breath.
I am reminded of a song from the original Mary Poppins entitled, “I Love to Laugh.” Most of us here tonight enjoy a good laugh - the kind that causes you to cry or the kind that causes you to begin to snort.
Joy: The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; that excitement of pleasurable feelings which is caused by success, good fortune, the gratification of desire or some good possessed, or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire; gladness; exultation; exhilaration of spirits.
How sweet to hold a newborn baby
And feel the pride and joy He gives
But greater still the calm assurance
This child can face uncertain day, because He lives
Is there anything wrong with these things?
Does God desire that Christians be joyful and rejoice?
I believe that we would all agree that the answer to that question is “Yes.”
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
Serve the Lord with gladness: Come before his presence with singing.
(Note: “Gladness” in Psalm 100:2 is the same word for “mirth” in Ecclesiastes 2:1.)
So what is it that made the difference in Solomon’s life?
What was it that caused Solomon to say of all of these things, “All is vanity?”
The Difference? Solomon’s Starting Point
The Difference? Solomon’s Starting Point
Solomon started with “pleasure,” and these other things and hoped that they would lead him to meaning, satisfaction, and purpose. He quickly learned that those things, if they are your starting point, only lead to emptiness.
At one point in life, Solomon tried to find peace and joy through partying and entertainment. Yet, he learned that this led to further emptiness and frustration. When the fun and frivolity was over, he was still empty. (Sorenson)
This should not have come as a surprise, though. Notice what Solomon had written at an earlier time in his life:
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death.
Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; And the end of that mirth is heaviness.
The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: And a good man shall be satisfied from himself.
While mirth, laughter, pleasure and joy are natural parts of life - and God has given us richly all things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17), they should never be our starting point.
The Difference? The Correct Starting Point
The Difference? The Correct Starting Point
What is the correct starting point?
Can anyone tell me what Galatians 5:22-23 says?
Guys in the back: Don’t show the following verses until I tell you to.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
True joy - and by extension true satisfaction with life - only comes as we begin with the correct starting point. In Galatians 5:22 that starting point is the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 tells us to be filled with - controlled by the Holy Spirit. The starting point is a life fully surrendered to Christ. Why? Because He is our life and only He can produce the meaning, purpose and satisfaction that we so desperately crave to experience.
I leave you with one of our memory verses:
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.