The bitterness of dissapointment

Wealth loved and lost - The crash 13-17

I love wood - I like to make sure we have enough wood for our fire.

I like to stack it all neatly and there is nothing more satisfying than a big pile of well stacked firewood. but then we have a fire and start to burn it…! every time we use wood up I get worried, that we are going to run out. Earlier in the year we used up all our wood and yet we still managed to find enough wood for our fire. We have now had a delivery of wood and have a big stack in the garage but I worry that we will run out…

No matter how much firewood we have as soon as the pile starts to shrink I feel like we don’t have enough - the bigger the stack the more I want to get to make sure we don’t run out…! the more I get the more I want for security…

‘whoever loves money - never has enough money’

Matt 6:19-33 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

the writer gives us a case study…

picture of a wealthy man his idol his object of worship is his wealth… and yet he ends up with nothing… had everything and lost everything. he v.16b toils for the wind.

he was devastated at losing it all… writer describes it as a grievous evil. the man has nothing after all his toil - everything has melted away…

illustration of building the massive snowman - wanted it to last, wanted it to be impressive wanted everyone to see.

collected all the snow, packed it down hard, even collected snow in church house garden because we didn’t have enough in our own garden, worked hard, we wanted it to last… [show picture]

By the next day our snowman had collapsed, our neighbours didn’t even think it was cool because Mark & Julie don’t like snow. within a few days everything had melted away. there was nothing there you would not even have known it had been there…

For our man money and wealth has become an idol… resulted in v.17b darkness, misery… easy to see it in others or look at the obscene wealth of the Russian oligarchs and others… but what about ourselves - most people if you ask them dont want to be wealthy but they want to have enough to be comfortable - comfort, security can be an idol…

A more excellent way 18-20

God is the giver - recognise what God has given you

All that we have comes from God rejoice in it, wealth, or poverty, toil or not - wisdom the writer tells us comes from finding joy in all situations… Paul wrote about that… 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. Phil 4:12

each day you have and what fills it comes from God - do we find joy in his provision

our wealth can make us forgetful of God - why is it that the parts of the world where Christianity is growing most are also the parts of the world where there is most poverty. in the west we have become so comfortable and self reliant - even in the pandemic we saw it as people rushed to the shops to make sure they were comfortable…

we think well I earned my money so I can spend it - but who gave you your health to be able to work in the first place…?

‘The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever’ (Westminster Catechism) 1 Cor 10:31 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Rom 11:36 36 For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

We are responsible for enjoying life because it is God’s gift…

not seeking pleasure for the sake of pleasure but enjoying what God has given us.

imitate God who gives so generously

Insecurity of wealth case study 2 (6:1—6)

a man gains everything and yet he is not able to enjoy it… whats the point in having gained it all…

got everything and yet someone else enjoys the fruit of his labour

lots of children and long life not guarantee of happiness may die unsatisfied, with no-one to mourn his death - no peace - contrast with stillborn child extreme… still born child not had chance to experience life, achieve, collect wisdom and yet seen as better off than the unsatisfied man who has had everything under the sun. The rich man is unsettled and finds no rest v.4-5

Matt 19:22-24 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

wealth and achievement in this life bring no security… we insure everything live in a comfort culture, ultimately we will all die. The writer is trying to get his readers to see with out God and without acknowledging him what's the point… its all meaningless… Our stuff and our lives are a gift from God. what are we going to do with them?

1 Tim 6:10 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Everything owes its existence to God 7-12

Whatever we achieve will melt away v.9 weather wealth or some other achievement… the person who achieves with words…

v.9 appetite for words and being wise in the worlds eyes, respected, this too is vanity…

v.10 everything owes its existence to God - job tried to debate with God and ended up turning in repentance to a sovereign God…

Gods way is so much better - we are not building on something that could melt away at any moment. trying to live life without God substituting God with stuff and comfort will lead only to disappointment in this life.

True security, satisfaction and hope can only be found in Jesus - we need to hear it and our friends need to hear it…

Pray that we would be joyful with what God has given us, that we would be able to enjoy all that God has given us…

maybe we need to turn to God in repentance and ask forgiveness…