Invest In Life: Living In Truth

Good morning!

Thanks Alex for leading us in worship this morning.

Last week we discussed faithful work.

If you missed the message last week, please go back and give it a listen.

The church, in general, has a sorted past in regards to how we view work.

We went into detail about what it means to work faithfully while living on this side of grace.

We need to briefly recap last week so that we can go into our text this week from the same perspective we had last week.

We don’t know what life will bring.

We can’t fix the problems we don’t know about, and we shouldn’t spend our day trying to figure all of them.

And so we must trust God.

Because we don’t know what the future holds or all the things that God will do, we work diligently at the task He has already revealed to us.

Early in the morning until late in the evening, we do the work that the Lord has called us too.

This is how we invest in our own lives and the lives of those we love.

We trust God and work like there is no tomorrow on what He has given us to do.

In our text today we are going to discuss the proper and biblical enjoyment of life and we need to see that through the lens of God’s grace and His desire to be in a relationship with Him.

Let’s read our final text of chapter eleven together.

As you are turning to chapter eleven, I want to say that this is the kind of text that, if you aren’t plugged in the whole message, you could walk away with a warped idea of what the author is trying to communicate.

So, let’s all plugin and see what the Lord has for us today.

Ecclesiastes 11:7–10 CSB

7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasing for the eyes to see the sun. 8 Indeed, if someone lives many years, let him rejoice in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, since they will be many. All that comes is futile. 9 Rejoice, young person, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. And walk in the ways of your heart and in the desire of your eyes; but know that for all of these things God will bring you to judgment. 10 Remove sorrow from your heart, and put away pain from your flesh, because youth and the prime of life are fleeting.

We are going to walk our way through these verses today and I want to begin with this point.

Live in the moment.

Now, there are a few things that come to my mind when I hear this phrase and neither of them is positive, but let’s discuss.

I tossed this phrasing around a lot because from an American culture perspective this doesn’t mean the same thing as it does from a biblical perspective.

Culturally, these are the ideas that come to mind.

One would be the idea that this is an encouragement to live for yourself.

Focus on what is feels best for you and disregard everyone else.

The second is more of a “Carpe Diem” or seize the day.

This idea would urge you to forsake the future in order to get maximum enjoyment out of today.

Admittedly, that one doesn’t sound horrible, and at first glance, even good.

But, that is not what we see the author of Ecclesiastes telling is best.

In verse 8 he tells us to “remember the days of darkness”.

Usually, when someone says to remember, they are referring to something that happened in the past.

That is not what he is doing.

He is pointing us to the future.

Today there is light, but there will be days of darkness ahead and you shouldn’t forget that.

Both of these “Live in the moment” ideas are prolific in our culture and I’d like for us to reconsider how we would think about living in the moment.

I am proposing that it is possible to live in the moment while also keeping a mindful eye on the future.

If we look at life from a biblical standpoint and consider what that might mean for God’s children we get a different image of living in the moment.

Consider for a moment, our creation.

God created us, in His image and in His garden.

Two of the biggest changes that people long for in today’s culture is a change in their person or their possessions.

There is a longing to be more… Fill in the blank with any number of things.

Or there is a desire for something better or newer...

Consider the status of our person and possessions at our creation.

Humans were created perfectly and in perfect communion with God.

There was no desire to be different or for more of anything.

All that could be desired to sustain, whether material, emotional, or spiritual was provided.

God did this because He is love.

So, to live in the moment means to live satisfied with all that God has provided.

There was no need to want or worry.

Even though sin is in the world and we no longer live in the garden, God can still satisfy every need we have.

Ecclesiastes 11:7–8 CSB

7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasing for the eyes to see the sun. 8 Indeed, if someone lives many years, let him rejoice in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, since they will be many. All that comes is futile.

Church, the world has changed, but God has not.

We are still created in His image and He is still able to provide all that we need.

God has given us life and He gave it to us to be enjoyed!

We can live in the moment, not by focusing on ourselves or forsaking the future.

We live in the moment allowing the Holy Spirit to bring the truth that we are awesomely and wonderfully made and that God distributes freely to all in need. Psalm 139:14 and Psalm 112:9

Ecc 11:7-8 need to be considered in light of our discussion on work from last week.

For those that are pursuing the work of God, the light is a welcome sight.

It marks the beginning of another day in which they can experience God.

When we find something that truly satisfies, we can’t wait for more, and that is certainly true with God.

Think about the best meal you have ever had.

You couldn’t get enough right?

Have you ever eaten something so good that you made yourself almost sick eating it?

A few years ago a salesman took myself and my college out to dinner.

Let me set the scene for you.

This college was born and raised in the country.

This was his first time at one of these dinners and so I wanted to give him a heads up on what to expect.

Basically, get whatever you want, but be careful because the food is going to just keep coming.

The salesman had made reservations at a super nice steak house.

He had never been to a really fancy steak house before and he was quite overwhelmed with all the choices.

The waiter told us the specials and I chose a double cut, bone in rib-eye.

Because, Carpe Diem...

All of the sudden it was his turn and he hadn’t made up his mind so he just said he would have what I was having.

What he didn’t realize was that I had just ordered a 40 oz steak.

The table had already ordered several appetizers and multiple sides.

Needless to say he was shocked when his steak arrived.

The problem was that everything was so good he couldn’t stop eating.

We got to the room that night and he was miserable to say the least.

Groaning miserable.

Yet, it was the best meal he had ever had.

When you discover the goodness and joy that is in Christ, you can’t get enough and at the end of the day, you will be so full that it is hard to comprehend.

This is what God wants for us.

That is why He created us.

We were created to be in a relationship with Him.

The God of Heaven and Earth, the God who spoke the world into being, wants us to know His love!

Not only does He love us, but He also shows it by providing all that we need.

Enjoy the gifts of God as He intended.

Ecclesiastes 11:9 CSB

9 Rejoice, young person, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. And walk in the ways of your heart and in the desire of your eyes; but know that for all of these things God will bring you to judgment.

Since we are talking about culture, let’s shift gears a bit and consider our Christian culture.

There are some issues with it and some specifics that this passage is calling into correction.

What has been the primary motivation that has been communicated as a reason for salvation?

I can only speak of what I’ve seen, but there were two primary tactics that I experienced growing up.

One was to sell the idea of heaven and a future reward in payment for good works.

Or Second is to use the idea of Hell to scare people into walking an aisle.

Obviously, Heaven and Hell are real places and it is good and healthy to be aware of their existence.

Those are truths that cannot be ignored and we see the author reference that judgment in this verse.

However, that is not the main point of this verse or this book.

Why then has our culture painted salvation in a way that it only focuses on those two endings?

My issue with both of those tactics is that they ignore the very reason we were created.

They gloss right over the present.

The church has spent years teaching behavior modification in preparation for the future.

I think this is one of the reasons so many have left the church.

The basis of their faith was wrapped up in a future hope or fear with no consideration for our time on earth.

That isn’t their fault, that is what they were taught by the church.

If God created us to live on this earth, wouldn’t there be some aspect of our relationship that would involve our time here?

Hear me say this church, we need to have an understanding of truth and we need to let it inform the way we live.

There is most definitely a need to live wisely and to let the Holy Spirit guide us away from sin.

Equally as important, we need to enjoy what God has provided as He intended.

The author makes a point to remind us that we need to keep in mind that God will judge us for our actions.

But if we are enjoying God’s gifts and He intended, the judgment will always be in our favor.

If that is truth, why then would we spend all of our time focusing on what we can’t do instead of what we can do?

Remember what we have already learned.

There is much we can desire and enjoy without sinning.

We can drink wine.

Ecclesiastes 9:7 CSB

7 Go, eat your bread with pleasure, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already accepted your works.

We can enjoy food.

Ecclesiastes 2:25 CSB

25 because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from him?

We can enjoy our spouse.

Ecclesiastes 9:9 CSB

9 Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting life, which has been given to you under the sun, all your fleeting days. For that is your portion in life and in your struggle under the sun.

We can enjoy rest.

Ecclesiastes 4:6 CSB

6 Better one handful with rest than two handfuls with effort and a pursuit of the wind.

We can pursue dancing, embracing, peace, laughter, and love.

Ecclesiastes 3:4–5 CSB

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; 5 a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;

Ecclesiastes 3:8 CSB

8 a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.

We can appreciate money.

Ecclesiastes 7:11–12 CSB

11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance and an advantage to those who see the sun, 12 because wisdom is protection as silver is protection; but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.

We can enjoy gardens and music.

Ecclesiastes 2:5 CSB

5 I made gardens and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them.

Ecclesiastes 2:8 CSB

8 I also amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered male and female singers for myself, and many concubines, the delights of men.

That’s quite a comprehensive list!

Now, any of that, in excess can lead to sin, but instead of making rules about how much is too much, we should teach people to live in a healthy relationship with God.

In doing so, the Holy Spirit that lives in them will guide their decisions, desires, and pursuits.

By following the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will be lead to righteousness because we are being made in His likeness.

Live life with God.

Ecclesiastes 11:10 CSB

10 Remove sorrow from your heart, and put away pain from your flesh, because youth and the prime of life are fleeting.

The draw to follow Jesus wasn’trules.

Rather it was life.

When Jesus called men to follow Him, His was call was exciting.

He brought life into the lives of the people He interacted with.

Do you remember the story of Mary and Martha?

Luke 10:38–42 CSB

38 While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.” 41 The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Talk about a command to live in the moment!

Mary saw the value in sitting with Jesus and soaking up all he had to offer.

We, like Martha, get so caught up in all the things we “should” be doing that we forget the most important thing.

We have so often forsaken the gift of enjoying God so that we can try to feel good about who we are by doing stuff.

Jesus didn’t only talk about what as coming one day.

Jesus invited people to join Him in the moment.

His invitation was to everyday life.

Jesus even spent much time showing us that those were focused on making life about the rules, brought death and He was offering life through a relationship.

Look with me at John 10:1-15

John 10:1–15 CSB

1 “Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. 7 Jesus said again, “Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. 13 This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about the sheep. 14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.

We understand that Jesus was the son of God.

We need to put that understanding into action by seeing what Jesus is offering here.

Instead of a life focused on following rules, He offers Himself, so that we can have abundant life.

Do you see that this is not what has been historically communicated by the church?

Normally, we are told to follow the rules so that we can have abundant life.

That is not what Jesus is teaching us.

He is teaching us to enter into His flock, trust Him, and He will take us to abundant life.

Jesus came to restore the relationship that had been so adulterated by sin.

Church, until we experienced grace, we had no idea what a relationship with God was supposed to look and feel like.

Those that teach others to focus on the rules are stealing the life from people.

Jesus is saying that He is life.

It is by knowing Jesus that we know life in abundance.

Think about this example that He gives us.

He uses the example of a shepherd and his sheep.

Here is the thing though, being a shepherd isn’t just a job.

He makes that clear by calling out a hired hand.

A shepherd loves his sheep and they are much more than just his just his source of income.

Consider the things that David, probably the most famous shepherd, did to protect his sheep.

1 Samuel 17:34–35 CSB

34 David answered Saul, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it.

The shepherd is one that is willing to put himself in harms way for the sake of his sheep.

The shepherd not only protects his sheep, he also takes them to the best pasture and makes sure they have water to drink.

Because to the time spent together and the protection provided, there is trust that is developed between the shepherd and his sheep.

The sheep not only know the shepherds voice, but they respond to it by coming when he calls.

There are more sheep that are to be gathered.

John 10:16 CSB

16 But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.

Do you know how those new sheep learn to trust the shepherd?

They watch and respond in kind to the sheep that know him.

They follow the others until they have enough experience to trust the shepherd on their own.

Do you know why people are drawn to people who really know Christ?

Because they see freedom that can’t be found anywhere else.

Do you know why people are leaving the church?

Because all they are finding there are rules.

The rest of the world is already pulling at them with demands on how they should do everything.

Then the church responds in kind and just creates more pressure to perform.

Christ calls them to Himself, just as they are, and loves them.

Through the experience of that love, they are brought into His likeness.

This is what it means to live life with God.

We simply embark on a daily walk with Him and allow who He is to change who we are.

As His sheep, we are called by God, to follow the example of Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, and love people.

In doing so we are helping others to see Jesus as a good shepherd until they have enough experiences of their own to trust Him for themselves.

I was talking to someone last week and told them the story of where the name of our church came from.

I forget that many of you weren’t here when we first started, but the name of our church comes from Luke 15:1.

Luke 15:1 NIV

1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.

We are just a bunch of messed up sinners, who have come to know the good shepherd.

We have the opportunity to share the trust, love, and joy that we have found.

Let’s Invest In Life by living it with God and inviting others to join us in discovering the goodness of God.

Announcements:

Be in prayer about affirming the lease for the building in Kolin. $5 a month for the next three years and if God is calling you to help plant.

Be in prayer about affirming Leah leading our worship ministry at West.

Gym O’ Treat

Church plant core team training will begin Nov. 8th.