Ecc Sermon Week 2

Intro/Welcome

Jesus would often say some of the most provocative things.

On one such occasion in Matt 16 he said this to his followers.

Matthew 16:26 (NASB95)

26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Have you ever thought about that?

Is there anything you would exchange for your soul?

There are plenty of folklore stories about those who ‘sold their soul to the devil’

What if you could gain the whole world? Would you?

Imagine for a moment that you had unlimited access to all your desires. What would your life be like if you could have anything and anyone you wanted without restriction? That was the life of Solomon.

Sermon

Solomon is going to save you the trouble today.

Solomon probably came the closes to gaining the whole world.

Today we will see Solomon pursue everything the world has to offer to his fullest potential.

A Solomon was the wealthiest and most prosperous king in Israel’s history

He had the power, the resources and the will to do whatever he wanted to whomever he wanted to whatever extent he wanted.

He pursued all the world had to offer to the fullest extent.

We will look at 4 categories today in Solomon’s Pursuits

The categories haven’t changed in our own day.

In fact in the US we are not so far from Solomon as the rest of the world.

Pleasure, Possessions, Productivity and the Pursuit of Wisdom and Knowledge.

Remember Solomon’s Goal:

Ecclesiastes 1:3 (CSB)

3 What does a person gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 1:13 (CSB)

13 I applied my mind to examine (investigate, seek out) and explore (experience) through wisdom all that is done under heaven...

Welcome

We’ll be in Ecc 1:15- 2:26 today.

My name is Justin

Good to be with you and online

Let’s pray.

Pray

To receive your gifts

Pleasure (Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll)

Where does Solomon start?

Where most of us do — the pursuit of pleasure.

Ecclesiastes 2:1 (CSB)

1 I said to myself, “Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good...

Laughter

Ecclesiastes 2:2 (CSB)

2 I said about laughter, “It is madness,” and about pleasure, “What does this accomplish?”

Alcohol

Ecclesiastes 2:3 (CSB)

3 I explored with my mind the pull of wine on my body—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—and how to grasp folly, until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

Entertainment

Ecclesiastes 2:8 (CSB)

8...I gathered male and female singers for myself,

Sexual Pleasure

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.

In short, drugs, sex and rock & roll.

Categorically, many of the same things we pursue.

Multi-billion dollar industries here in the US to keep us satisfied.

the pursuit of satisfaction.

Like you and I Solomon pursues these things

Unlike you and I, Solomon had the means to pursue them to their maximum potential.

Ecclesiastes 2:10 (CSB)

10 All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them. I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles.

Laughter

Entertain me!

STATS TikTok

2012, ByteDance built TikTok into one of the most popular apps around the world, with more than 100 million users in the U.S. alone. The startup has more than quadrupled revenue from just $8 billion in 2018 to 35 million and now posts sales on par with the likes of Nike Inc. and Coca-Cola Co.

Youtube - $20 billion, $25 billion Netflix

Gaming Globally — $114 billion — 2.69 billion gamers to raise to 3.07 billion based on 5.6% growth anywhere from 6-12 hours per day streaming some form of content

Laughter to escape the pain of life.

We try to laugh off our own pain.

Yet laughter is good.

Alcohol

He planted and owned vineyards giving him access to whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted

He owned is own wineries, breweries, distilleries

He could have as much as we wanted.

Yet with wisdom still guiding him

Ecclesiastes 2:3 (CSB)

3 I explored with my mind the pull of wine on my body—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—and how to grasp folly, until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

STATS

$90 billion dollars

In the U.S., the economic cost of excessive alcohol use is estimated to be around $29 billion in 2010, with $179 billion in workplace productivity costs, $28 billion in medical costs, $25 billion in criminal justice costs, and $13 billion in motor vehicle collisions.2

Est 1 in 8 Americans are alcoholics

Music

We love a good concert

Listening to music

Solomon had is own private concert venue

live music anytime he wanted.

We kind of have the same thing here.

STATS

155 million Spotify subscribers

72 million Apple Music

$21.6 billion revenue

Sexual Pleasure

Solomon had 1000 women at his disposal. (700 wives, 300 concubines

Concubines — the delights/pleasures of men.

Ecclesiastes 2:8 (CSB)

8...I gathered...and many concubines, the delights of men.

“I did not refuse myself any pleasure”

Sex in Our day

Again it is not so different for us.

We are a sex addicted culture

Casual sex, sex outside of marriage, apps designed soley for sexual encounters.

pornography is rampant — epidemic

Pornography is essentially the same in our day.

A 1000 women / men at your disposal

35% of all internet downloads are porn related

$97 Billion dollars porn globally

$99 billion in sex trafficking

marriage is under fire / fidelity is out of fashion

massive sexual confusion

gender confusion

Conclusion on Pleasure

Ecclesiastes 2:1–2 (CSB)

1 I said to myself, “Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good.” But it turned out to be futile. 2 I said about laughter, “It is madness,” and about pleasure, “What does this accomplish?”

It’s all hevel

How about for you? Are you gaining anything by these?

Solomon then says, How about productivity and possessions?

Productivity & Possessions

Ecclesiastes 2:4–8 (CSB)

4 I increased my achievements. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made gardens and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them. 6 I constructed reservoirs for myself from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees. 7 I acquired male and female servants and had slaves who were born in my house. I also owned livestock—large herds and flocks—more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces....

Ecclesiastes 2:9 (CSB)

9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me.

Solomon did it all.

he had a personal staff estimated at 10,000-30,000 servants committed solely to serving his every whim,

the equivalent of his own private zoo with exotic animals from around the world,

12,000 horses and 1,400 chariots imported from Egypt and Cilicia (1 Kings 4:26, 10:26-29),

so much wealth that silver became worthless (1 Kings 10:10-27)

We do the same thing.

We accumulate and accumulate and accumulate more and more stuff.

More Storage Units going up all over

The e fastest growing segment of the commercial real estate industry over the past four decades - New York Times Magazine

50,000 storage facilities, more than 5x the number of Starbucks.

Currently, there is 7.3 square feet of self storage space for every man, woman and child in the nation.

We have so much stuff.

3.1% of the world’s children live in America, but they own 40% of the toys consumed globally (UCLA)

And it’s never enough.

We need bigger, better, more

STATS

average plate size from 1960 to present grew by 3” from 800 cal to 1900 cal)

The average size of the American home has nearly tripled in size over the past 50 years

And we are having less kids.

We are addicted to accumulation and consuming.

And it’s never enough.

Solomon could save us the trouble.

Productivity

We’ve got to do more and more

Achieve the next level, pay grade

expand our influence

48% of Americans identify as workaholics (NY post)

Wisdom

What’s worse is wisdom taught Solomon that no matter how much you have you can’t take any of it with you.

He contemplates death (a good thing to do as we’ll see)

And realizes that everything has built will be passed on to someone who didn’t work for it, doesn’t care about it, and won’t appreciate it.

Ecclesiastes 2:18–23 (CSB)

18 I hated all my work that I labored at under the sun because I must leave it to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will take over all my work that I labored at skillfully under the sun. This too is futile.

20 So I began to give myself over to despair concerning all my work that I had labored at under the sun. 21 When there is a person whose work was done with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a person who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great wrong. 22 For what does a person get with all his work and all his efforts that he labors at under the sun? 23 For all his days are filled with grief, and his occupation is sorrowful; even at night, his mind does not rest. This too is futile.

all the late hours

all the sleepless nights

all the anxiety and worry

in the end it all means nothing.

It’s all hebel

How about the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge? Surely there is gain in this.

The Pursuit of Wisdom & Knowledge

How about the pursuit of knowledge?

Something else we are all obsessed with.

If we can just gain enough information, understanding, then we will be ok.

We are now suffering from Information Fatigue

There is literally too much to keep up with

too much to read

too much to know

It’s completely overwhelming.

There is an estimated 40 trillion gigabytes of data on the internet

What has Solomon discovered?

More knowledge = more grief

Ecclesiastes 1:16–18 (CSB)

16 I said to myself, “See, I have amassed wisdom far beyond all those who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has thoroughly grasped wisdom and knowledge.” 17 I applied my mind to know wisdom and knowledge, madness and folly; I learned that this too is a pursuit of the wind. 18 For with much wisdom is much sorrow; as knowledge increases, grief increases.

One Advantage to Wisdom

Solomon does concede at least advantage — one thing to be gained.

Ecclesiastes 2:12–14 (CSB)

12 Then I turned to consider wisdom, madness, and folly, for what will the king’s successor be like? He will do what has already been done. 13 And I realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, like the advantage of light over darkness. 14 The wise person has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both.

Wisdom will generally allow you to avoid some unnecessary pain in this life

It is better to see where you are going than to not.

Furthermore, it is wise to contemplate your own death

as we will see later in the series.

It is good to see where you are going — death.

Ultimate Knowledge and meaning

The pursuit of the knowledge of meaning through:

secularism

the world’s religions

They are all hebel.

You cannot discover what God is up to.

Ecclesiastes 7:23–24 CSB

23 I have tested all this by wisdom. I resolved, “I will be wise,” but it was beyond me. 24 What exists is beyond reach and very deep. Who can discover it?

Solomon’s Conclusion

So Solomon concludes

Ecclesiastes 2:9–11 (CSB)

9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me. 10 All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them. I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles. 11 When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.

The pursuit of pleasure, productivity, possessions and the pursuit of wisdom didn’t do it

They weren’t enough.

This is wisdom for us to know.

Solomon tried it all — not of it works.

Enjoyment from God

What are some of your fondest memories?

For me, it isn’t the achievments, the accumulation of stuff — it’s the people I care most about.

Me and Seattle,

apart of a fast growing church, that did all of of things.

My fondest memories are the achievements but being with the people that meant the most to me (community group together), around the table

around good food and drink.

life long friendships, i’ll never forget those

they are a glimpse of heaven

Ecclesiastes 2:24–25 (CSB)

24 There is nothing better for a person than to eat, drink, and enjoy his work. I have seen that even this is from God’s hand, 25 because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from him?

This is the Good Life

The truth is in 30 years nobody is going to say

“I wish I would have worked more, watched more shows, won more accolades.”

I wish I would have spent more time with those who mean the most to me.

Who is it that means the most to you?

How can you take intentional time this week to spend with them?

How can you reorient your schedule around what is most important?

One way you can invest in what’s most important is by joining a Community Group right here

doing life together with God’s people

Groups are intentional, Jesus centered, spirit filled relationships that form us to be like Christ.

If you are not in a group we have a couple new ones starting it’s a great time to jump into community.

David & Cloe in the Back, Millers also.

God’s Gifts

all are gifts from God, who can enjoy part from him?

The truth this none of these pursuits is bad in and of themselves

They are gifts from God.

yet the ability ttruly enjoy those gifts is itself a gift from God.

Pleasure, possessions, productivity, wisdom, knowledge

not bad things, good things from God.

James 1:17 (CSB)

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

It is not the things themselves, but where we place them in our hearts

All of these gifts are from God

And it is God who gives the ability to enjoy them.

they are gifts from God to be enjoyed

but cannot be enjoyed apart from Him

They are to be recieved from him and enjoyed because of him .

God is pleased when we receive them as gifts.

How can we do this?

How can we enjoy God’s Gifts?

Ecclesiastes 2:26 (CSB)

26 For to the person who is pleasing in his sight, he gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and accumulating in order to give to the one who is pleasing in God’s sight. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

Who is pleasing in his sight?

The one who follows his ways, who loves God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength

and loves their neighbor as themselves.

the one who fears God and obeys him (Ecc 12:13)

Problem

no one can do this on their own.

We take God’s gifts to consume and use on ourselves.

We don’t give thanks to God, we don’t even acknowledge him. (Romans 1:21)

Romans 1:21 CSB

21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

Birthday presents — joy for parents to see their kids delight in their gifts,

but it can immediately go south when the selfishness emerges

But, thanks be to God, that there is one who was pleasing to God in my place

if i place my faith in Him.

Jesus Christ

Matthew 3:17 CSB

17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.”

By Faith

Jesus said this is the work to be done

believe in the Son

This is pleasing to God.

When we believe in Jesus and trust Him with our lives

we become united to Him

His pleasing life becomes ours

our sinful, selfish, self gratifying life becomes his.

In Christ, we are pleasing to God the Father.

its the greatest gift of all.

We are free to then rest from our endless strivings b/c in Christ we have everything we need

Because he has done it.

It is finished.

And it actually frees us to enjoy the gifts of God

Furthermore

And when we die we shall inherit the new heavens and the new earth with Christ.

we will be given more than we can imagine.

Do you know all these pleasures on earth, are meant to point to their ultimate fulfillment and unfathomable experiences in heaven?

Through and in Jesus we then get wisdom, knowledge and joy.

Romans 14:17 CSB

17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

But for Sinners

But for those who are not ‘pleasing’ that is outside of God’s saving work in Christ

all that we have will be given to the righteous

this is the ultimate inheritance of the earth by the saints

Ecclesiastes 2:26 (CSB)

26 For to the person who is pleasing in his sight, he gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and accumulating in order to give to the one who is pleasing in God’s sight. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

What becomes of the sinner?

He loses it all.

Outside of a relationship with God everything is hevel

Remember where we started: what would it benefit a man to gain the world world — only to lose it all?

This is in the context of discipleship to Jesus.

Matthew 16:24–28 (CSB)

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. 26 For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each according to what he has done. 28 Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

This is exactly where Solomon ends the book

Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 CSB

13 When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep his commands, because this is for all humanity. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

Pursue the world apart from God and you get nothing in this life or the next

Purse God and you get the pleasures of this world and the next.

Everything minus God is nothing. Nothing plus God is everything.

Gospel Call

If you don’t know Jesus today, come to Him, confess your worthless pursuits apart from him as sin, and give your life to him and gain the whole world.

This really matters b/c heaven and hell are real.

outside of God — This life is a close to heaven as you get

with God — this life is as close to hell as you get.

Decide now today, and enter into an eternal relationship with eternal joy awaiting you.

If you know Jesus,

return to your first love

enjoy the small things in life, the everyday things

these are gifts of God

Where can you reorient your schedule to those who are most important to you?

What pursuits to you need to stop striving after and repent and turn back to Jesus?

The only one who can satisfy your soul!

Redeem your time, your pursuits, your possessions, your productivity, your pleasure.

Let’s Pray