Death without Jesus is meaningless

Introduction.

Today we wrap up our summer journey on the book of Ecclesiastes. As we hear the words of chapter 9, we can sense that we are reaching the end of the book as Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 9:1, “But all this I laid to heart, examining it all.”

Today I will address the sobering reality of death because it’s something everyone one of us is going to experience. According to Ecclesiastes 3:2, “There is a time to be born, and a time to die.”

It is a good thing to look at the sobering reality of death so that we can put life in its proper perspective.

Ecclesiastes 7:2 states, “It is better to go to the house of mourning (funerals) than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.”

Based on our passage today, I want to share 4 realities about death. And then share some application

1. Death was not part of God’s original design

The first part of V.3 states, “This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all.”

Salomon speaks of death as an evil. How did this evil entered our world?

Death was not part of God’s original design. Genesis 1-2 describes life on earth as whole: healthy relationships among humans and God and among each other. There is no sin and no death.

But then sin and death entered the world: In Genesis 3 humans rebelled against God.

Creation was cursed. God tells Adam in Genesis 3:17-19, “Cursed is the ground because of you - pain and death entered the world.

The apostle Paul puts it like this in Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”

Paul says, we spread death because all sinned.

Salomon declares in Ecclesiastes 9:3b,

Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

In case you are wondering “what’s the matter with the world?” The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart: it is full of evil and madness. I thank God for sending his Son to rescue us from the curse of sin and death.

2. God has our lives in his hands (v.1)

Ecclesiastes 9:1 says, “But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him.”

Theologians refer to this reality as the sovereignty of God. A sovereign is a king and Scripture often refers to God as the one who rules over all including life and death.

God decides when I’m born and he decides when I die. You will not die one minute before your time.

Psalm 139:16 NLT

16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

A few weeks ago my dad got very sick from covid. I traveled with my brother to Mexico to be with my dad and help out carry oxygen tanks from the hardware store to his house (healthcare system is overloaded). By the grace of God he improved that week.

We made plans to travel back to the US. We went to get test for covid (you need a negative test in order to board the plane). Mine came back positive. I went to get tested again and again it said positive.

We talked about finding a way back to the US but ultimately decided to stay behind until the virus worked its way out.

I still remember that Tuesday evening in our hotel room. My brother was very concerned for me. What if something happened to me...

Here’s what I said to my brother that day, “I will not die one minute before God’s time.”

And then I quoted Charles Spurgeon, “The sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which the Christian rests his head.”

Let us be reminded that God, NOT COVID, has our lives in his hands. This is so comforting.

3. We all have an appointment with death (v.2)

Ecclesiastes 9:2, It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked.

Translation: we are all going to die someday. Death is the great equalizer no matter who you are or what you have done. We will face death regardless of your race, gender, financial status, religious beliefs, age, etc.

It is the same for all, since the same event happens to everyone.

Hebrews 9:27, And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

We only have one life to live - there are no do overs (no reincarnation, no coming to visit your family once a year from the realm of the dead).

How are we using our time and resources? Before you beat yourself up feeling like you’ve wasted your life.

4. There is reason to hope!

Ecclesiastes 9:4–6 (NLT)

4There is hope only for the living. As they say, “It’s better to be a live dog than a dead lion!”

5The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered.

6Whatever they did in their lifetime—loving, hating, envying—is all long gone. They no longer play a part in anything here on earth.

The point is clear: if we are alive, we have hope.

David Gibson put it this way,

the point is simple: to be alive is to have the day of opportunity in our hands in a way that we do not have when we’re dead.

As we get to the end of Ecclesiastes we see how the Bible addresses a fatalist mindset, “What’s the point? It’s all going to burn anyways.”

The Bible addresses a hedonistic (pleasure seeking) mindset. “It’s all about pleasure, money and power.”

Here’s what the Bible would say,

Main Idea: Enjoy temporary life on earth under the reality that one day you’ll step into eternity to give an account before God.

How to enjoy temporary life on earth in light of eternity.

Enjoy the little things in life today

Ecclesiastes 9:7 says, “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.”

Enjoy life with the people you love

Ecclesiastes 9:9, “Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun.

Invest in relationships. Nobody on their deathbed has ever said, “I wish I had spent more time at the office’.

David Gibson, Living Life Backward: How Ecclesiastes Teaches Us to Live in Light of the End

This is just the way a wise, old man speaks to a younger man. “Ah,” he says, “if I knew then what I know now, I’d do things differently. I’d slow down. I’d enjoy my kids. Only yesterday they were knee-high, and now they’re gone. I’d take time to listen more than I speak.”

Enjoy life with the people you love.

Make the most of every opportunity

Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.”

Don’t waste your life. Don’t waste the time and the resources God has given you.

Ephesians 5:15-16 says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

You can get a lot of things back or replace them: money, house, car or a job. But you cannot get time back. Those days and hours are gone. This is why you cannot go wrong with investing in people.

Make the most of every opportunity to point people to Christ. One thing you can’t do in heaven is tell non-Christians about Jesus.

Ecclesiastes 9:8, Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.

These verses point to a greater reality. White garments is a symbol of the righteousness of Christ and oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. (Chuck Swindoll)

God invites us to a lifestyle of walking in the righteousness of Christ and letting the power of the HS flow through us. What are you waiting for? Come to Jesus.

Conclusion:

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”

You can see our main idea for today in these two verses:

Enjoy temporary life on earth under the reality that one day you’ll step into eternity to give an account before God.

We will stand before God and give an account of our actions including how we spent our time.

We will stand before God and give an account for the words we spoke.

We will stand before God and give an account for how we spent our money.

No wonder Moses prayed to God, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

Only One Life by C.T. Studd

Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say, “Thy will be done”; And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say ’twas worth it all”; Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Enjoy temporary life on earth under the reality that one day you’ll step into eternity to give an account before God.