He has set Eternity in their Heart

He has set Eternity in their Heart

Text: Ecclesiastes 3:11

King James | ‎Ec 3:11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

‎‎ESV | ‎Ec 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

‎‎NASB95 | ‎Ec 3:11 He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

‎‎NIV | ‎Ec 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

‎‎NRSV | ‎Ec 3:11 He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament Scriptures

עוֹלָ sometimes עֹלָם m.—(A) pr. what is hidden; specially hidden time, long; the beginning or end of which is either uncertain or else not defined; eternity, perpetuity.

* Here are a couple of examples where this Hebrew word is translated everlasting, or eternity-

Psalm 41:13 (KJV 1900)

13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

Psalm 45:5–6 (KJV 1900)

6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: The sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

So, knowing what the Hebrew word that was translated world means, then to get the fullest understand of our text, we can read our text as follows:

* So we could read our text this way this morning:

King James | ‎Ec 3:11

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world (Eternity) in their heart…

This is the thought I would like to ponder with you this morning:

“God has created by default, in the heart of every man woman boy and girl, a desire, or a longing for eternity.”

* When Jesus spoke with the woman at the well in John chapter 4 he said “give me to drink” indicating that he was thirsty.

* Jesus was picturing what was in the heart of the woman he spoke with. This woman was thirsty for eternal life!

* Jesus told her: “ If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.”

* Jesus went on to say “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

* God has set within the heart of mankind the desire and thirst for eternal life.

* This is something that God did not do for the animal kingdom.

* The Bible teaches that when an animal dies its spirit returns to the earth, but when a man dies, his spirit goes to heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:21 (KJV 1900)

21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

* When God created the animal kingdom He spoke the animals into existence, but when God created Adam and Eve, the Bible says that God breathed into them the “breath of life.”

Genesis 2:7 (KJV 1900)

7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;

and man became a living soul.

* God did not do this for the animal kingdom. The animals do not have a soul.

* When God breathed into the nostrils of man the breath of life at that time He programmed into mankind the knowledge and desire for eternity.

* In order to guide the animal kingdom to do the will of God, God gave them instinct. The birds don’t fly south for the winter because they know it’s going to get cold, they do this because God has placed within them an eternal guide.

* Because of this internal guide, animals all over the world will fly thousands of miles to a place where they have never been, and then fly back again.

* They don’t need a map like a man would because God has placed this within them.

* Now on the other hand, God has placed in mankind an eternal, living soul. Within this eternal soul, God has placed a knowledge and a desire for eternity.

* like the birds that migrate do not need a map, so mankind does not need a book to know that he was created to live forever.

* God has placed this knowledge within every man. This is why religion is so prevalent throughout the world. Man desires eternity in his heart.

I. The test of a choice-

II. The failure of conscience- Eternal life lost.

III. The good news- Eternal life re-stored.

I. The test of a choice-

* If Adam and Eve obeyed the will of God, they would have Eternal life, but if they did not obey the will of God, they would inherit death.

* Inside of this soul is built in a conscious. Like the instinct that God has given the animal kingdom, God has placed within mankind a guide to do the will of God, and our conscious, if not corrupted, works like a instinct to do what is good and right.

* The conscious that is within every living soul drives us to reflect what we were created to do, and that is to be the image of God.

Genesis 1:26–28 (KJV 1900)

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:

and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them,

and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

* Now, being created in the image of God means that we, like God, are beings of free choice.

* Unlike the animals, we are free to choose to do the will of God, or to do our own will.

* Because of this, the very first thing God does is set up a test of choice:

Genesis 2:6–9 (KJV 1900)

7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

* The result of choosing not to do the will of God, resulted in death, spiritual, and physical.

Genesis 2:15–17 (KJV 1900)

15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

* What is this tree of knowledge of good and evil?

* This tree represented to Adam and Eve choice to do the will of God, or to refuse to do the will of God.

* You see, Adam and Eve’s sin was not the eating of fruit. The fruit was an example, or a figure.

* The fruit was a visual object lesson, so to speak, of the result of choosing not to do the will of God.

Proverbs 14:11–12 (KJV 1900)

12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death.

II. The failure of conscience- Eternal life lost.

I. The test of a choice-

II. The failure of conscience- Eternal life lost.

III. The good news- Eternal life re-stored.

* And so then Adam and Eve failed the test of conscience that God had set up, and Romans tells us of the results.

Romans 5:12 (KJV 1900)

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

* Now we see that all mankind was under the sentence of death. As a result of refusing to do the will of God, Adam and Eve, and all mankind now suffer the evil fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.

Galatians 6:7–8 (KJV 1900)

7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption;

* So mankind finds now that God has put in his heart a desire for eternity, but because of his sin, he is condemned to death.

* We are in a major predicament. We are condemned to die, but we long for eternal life!

III. The good news- Eternal life re-stored.

I. The test of a choice-

II. The failure of conscience- Eternal life lost.

III. The good news- Eternal life re-stored.

* Now for the good news:

* Galatians 6:7 we read said:

7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption;

-But now look at the rest of that passage:

but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

* Adam and Eve failed the test of obeying their conscious, and doing the will of God, but we can undo what Adam and Eve did by making the right choice.

* The right choice would be to obey the will of God, instead of disobeying the will of God.

Mark 3:31–35 (KJV 1900)

31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. 32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 33 And he answered them, saying,

Who is my mother, or my brethren? 34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

1 John 2:16–17 (KJV 1900)

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:

but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Acts 17:30–31 (KJV 1900)

30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

* How can you undo what Adam and Eve has done and achieve the eternity that God has set in the heart of man?

* The answer is to repent because Jesus Christ, who God has raised from the dead, is getting ready to judge the world for its disobedience to the will of God.

* But repentance alone is not enough, you must obey the Gospel!

* We don’t just believe the Gospel, even the devils believe-

James 2:19 (KJV 1900)

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

* The devils know the Gospel is true, but the will not obey the Gospel.

* There be many in every church this morning that believe the Gospel, but have never obeyed the Gospel.

Romans 10:11–16 (KJV 1900)

11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

* The apostle Paul goes on to say in the same chapter:

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

* Jesus told a parable to help us understand this. Turn with me now to Matthew 22 and let’s look at this parable:

Matthew 22 (KJV 1900)

1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,

2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

* These verses picture those who go out preaching the Gospel to a lost world inviting them into the Kingdom of Heaven:

* But now look at verse 5: Now here we see the person who sits in church, listens to the preacher talk about Heaven and Hell and repenting of sin, and coming to Jesus to receive eternal life.

* The people in verse 5 will sit in church and agree with everything the preacher is saying- but they never do the will of God.

5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

* There are those who flatly refuse to obey the Gospel: Look at verse 6:

6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.

9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

* Now, once again we see the folks that go to church, and appear to be good religious folks, but they have never obeyed the Gospel.

* These people have identified with the Church, they taken the name of Jesus to themselves, but they have never humbled their heart to do the will of God.

11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

* I want you to notice now that the future of the person who is religious, but has never obeyed the will of God, is the same as the person who outright refuses to do the will of God- They both will wind up in Hell where there is darkness and weeping and wailing and people gnashing their teeth together because of pain!

13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

* The chosen ones are the ones who have obeyed the Gospel- those who have obeyed the will of God:

Matthew 7:21–27 (KJV 1900)

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Conclusion:

* Now as we conclude our thoughts this morning look back to where we started this sermon this morning. In the garden with Adam and Eve.

* God created mankind with one purpose in mind- to be the Image of God.

Genesis 1:27:

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

* Adam and Eve were to fulfill the will of God for their lives by being the very image of God.

* When God re-created you and I into a new creature, I am talking about when you got saved,

just like with Adam and Eve, God re-created you to become the image of God in the likeness of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 1:1–3 (KJV 1900)

GOD, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,

and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;…

2 Corinthians 3:18 (KJV 1900)

18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Romans 8:29 (KJV 1900)

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son …

* I ask you to examine your selves this morning-

are you living in such a way that those who observe your life can see the image of a righteous and Holy God in you?

* If the Holy Spirit brings anything to mind that needs to change-

come to this alter and let the Spirit of God change you into a proper Image of Christ this morning.

* Again, going back to the original test God gave Adam and Eve in the Garden, you and I also have to pass a test in order to have eternal life this morning:

* You were created to be the image of God, but you were also created to do the will of God.

* Just as Adam and Eve were tested in the Garden, so you and I in these last days have been given the same test- the test is will you do the will of God.

* Just like with Adam and Eve, if you pass the test you will receive eternal life.

Revelation 2:7 (KJV 1900)

7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

John 3:16 (KJV 1900)

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:18 (KJV 1900)

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

* If you fail the test, you will die and end up where death is going:

Revelation 20:12–15 (KJV 1900)

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life:

and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

* The will of God is to obey the Gospel.

* Have you obeyed the Gospel, or are you like those folks who received the invitation to the master’s banquet and didn’t respond to the will of the master?

* If you have not obeyed the Gospel, I urge you to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit of God as He speaks to you, pleading with you to obey the will of God and be saved.