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*Ecclesiastes 1 Sermon*
*“A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste”*
*Ecc.
1:2-18*
Big Idea: Because of man’s impermanence on this earth, there is meaninglessness in industry and philosophy.
I.
Introduction
A. Secular
1. Graduations happening here in Kearney and around the country.
2.
Not just in high school, but also in colleges where people are dropping anywhere from $30-300,000 to obtain a four-year bachelor’s degree.
3.
And for what?
I can honestly say that even starting right out of college I used less than 5% of my Biology degree, and use even less than that now.
There were times when I thought “What a waste!
What a waste of my time, my energy and my money!”
B. Personal
1. Have you ever felt that way?
2.
Felt like you invested so much of yourself not just in getting a degree, but in a friendship, or in a job, or in a marriage and you’re getting nothing out of it.
Have you ever said, “What a waste!”?
C. Biblical
1.
There have been people in the Bible that cried out this exact sentiment.
2. There are several psalms where David cries out to God that he has been faithful and righteous and there are still enemies coming after him to try to kill him.
3. The author of Psalm 42 wrote “My tears have been my food day and night” and asked God “Why have you forgotten me?”.
4.
Even one of the former kings of Israel, one of the wisest men in all the earth, looked around at all that he had amassed and accomplished and cried out “What a waste!”.
D. Textual
1.
That is what we hear in the book of Ecclesiastes.
2.
Last week we started a new series from the book of Ecclesiastes, and tonight we will continue in chapter one if you want to turn there now.
3. Ecclesiastes introduces us to the Preacher or Teacher.
a.
As was said last week, most people assume this to be King Solomon near the end of his life.
However, he only goes by the title “The Preacher”.
b.
And although we covered the first three verses of chapter one, I want to start by reexamining verse 2 before we get into our text.
II.
Exposition
A. The Problem of Meaninglessness (1:2)
1.
Last week we saw that the speaker was entirely disgusted with all that he is seeing and has declared it all meaningless.
2. In fact, he says it is “Vanity of vanities!”
a. Song of Songs is written in the same format to impart to people that of all the songs, this is THE song.
b.
He then adds, just to make sure that there is no mistake of what he means, that “All is vanity” – everything is meaningless
3. Quite a depressing way to look at life.
4. However, from the speaker’s point of view, he has some valid reasons for his statement.
a.
What are they?
What did he see in life that got him so frustrated?
b.
That is the subject of the rest of the book, however, we will look at the first two tonight.
c. Warning of rambling
B. Meaninglessness Measured (1:12-18)
1. Inconsequence of Industry (12-15)
a.
The first thing that the Preacher rails against is the inconsequence of industry.
It seems that whatever we do, however hard we work, its all meaningless and without value.
b.
First, he explains where’s he coming from and lays out his credentials for saying what he’s about to say.
1.) Like a salesman who displays all of her “Salesperson of the Year” awards for her potential customers to see,
2.) The Preacher wants us to know that he is not giving us some emotional, off-the-cuff response to a bad day.
3.) In verse 12 he says that he was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
a.) Therefore, he had the opportunity and the resources to make a careful examination.
c. Next, he wants to assure us the he has carefully researched everything out first, and has come to a careful conclusion.
1.)
In v. 13 he says that he “applied [his] heart to seek and to search out by wisdom”
2.) He has personally and fully invested himself to this task.
3.) Much like Luke in Luke 1:1-4.
4.) Therefore, we can be sure of his conclusions.
d.
After this he tells us what he was studying
1.) (v.
13) “All that is done under heaven”
2.) Literally, all the works, all the toils, all the labors, all the things that are done, that we do, here on earth.
e. Then he gives us his conclusion:
1.)
They are all vanity; meaningless
2.)
Not only that, but it is “an unhappy business”, or an “evil labor” that we are to be burdened with.
f. Concludes with a proverb that reminds us that there are things that are impossible for us to do, like making crooked things straight, and counting something that doesn’t exist.
1.) Like straightening out a paper clip – it never gets completely straight.
2.) The thing that is impossible for us to do, is to infuse meaning and value into our labors, toils and life.
3.) Our industry, our work, our toil and labor are al inconsequential in the eyes of the Preacher.
2. Futility of Philosophy (16-18)
a.
He goes on to describe a futility in philosophy.
That is, that there is no point in trying to get inside people’s heads and figure them out.
b.
In the same way as the last useless point, he methodically comes to his conclusion.
c. First, his credentials (v.
16)
1.)
He is the wisest and most knowledgeable person around.
2.)
If anyone can figure this thing out – he can.
d. Next, his method (v.
17a)
1.) Again, in the same way he devotes himself fully to the task.
2.) Ironic, that he is not one to do things half-hearted, even thought he just concluded that the effort is meaningless.
e. Now, his subject (v.
17b)
1.)
He examines wisdom and madness and folly.
2.) I believe that he is using a rhetorical device to explain to us that he sought to understand every mental state and every lifestyle that people were engaged in.
a.) Like using the old expression “We have everything from soup to nuts” conveys a sense of completion, that that store owner has everything in stock.
b.)
The Preacher looked at every lifestyle, and every philosophy known to man.
f.
Then, his conclusion (17c)
1.) Same as before: vanity, meaningless, chasing after wind.
2.)
Not only are the actions of people useless, so are their thought processes and ways of life.
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