Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

As we continue with our worship of the Lord this morning, I want to invite you to pray with me as we prepare to encounter God through the preaching of His word.

Let’s pray together.

Back in the day when it was normal for churches to use Catechisms.... and to be sure many churches still use them today, I think that they are a great idea and tool for teaching people the basics of the faith, one of the more popular Catechisms was the Westminster Catechism, and in this Catechism was the question, “What is the Cheif End Of Man?”

This is a great question to ponder.

This is something that we all need to be asking ourselves.

The question is getting to the point of why we exist.

That is what is being asked here in this catechism.

Why am I here?

What is the purpose of all of this?

What Am I to Do?

We get that!

We understand the reasoning behind that type of question because deep down we know that there is a point to life.... and we spend all of our lives trying to figure that out.

People are hell-bent on trying any and every means to find fulfillment in this life… and what we know to be true from experience and from the Word of God is that those things will not satisfy our hearts.

No amount of money, wealth, or earthly possessions, is going to fill this longing we have in our hearts.

We want to know what is our “chief End?” We want to know, “What is Our Purpose?”

We want to know if there is meaning in this life that seems to have no meaning.

This is the question that God is directly dealing with in the book of Ecclesiastes.

Does He deal with this problem in other parts of Scripture?

Sure He does.

But this has been our focus here in this book.

We are wanting to see what God says about our lives and how to find meaning in this world.

Body:

So, as we close out this series this morning, I want to invite you to open up your Bibles to Ecclesiastes 11:1- 12:7 with me as we study God’s word together.

There are a few things I want us to see this morning from this text, but I there is ONE major point I want us to walk away with.

That is to say, there are a few subpoints and they all feed into the overall point that I think the text is telling us.

Main Point: In The End... God.

This is where the text is leading us.

We know that there are many different things that are said in and through this entire book… but it all really boils down to this one phrase....

In The End… God.

That is where life is leading us.

That is where we are heading this morning.

Let’s walk through this passage together.

Look back at verses 11:1-6 with me.

Send your bread on the surface of the water, for after many days you may find it.

2 Give a portion to seven or even to eight, for you don’t know what disaster may happen on earth.

3 If the clouds are full, they will pour out rain on the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or the north, the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.

4 One who watches the wind will not sow, and the one who looks at the clouds will not reap.

5 Just as you don’t know the path of the wind, or how bones develop in the womb of a pregnant woman, so also you don’t know the work of God who makes everything.

6 In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hand rest, because you don’t know which will succeed, whether one or the other, or if both of them will be equally good.

(Ecc 11:1-6).

This section, in its original context, is talking about investments.

It might seem strange to us that the Bible talks about such matters, but truth be told, the Bible speaks a great deal about how we are to handle our money.

The advice that Solomon is giving here is that a person should take risk and invest in many different things.

A person should not be so concerned with what “might” happen in the future, because they really have no clue!

He say’s that “the one who watches the wind will not sow, and the one who who looks at the clouds will not reap”, meaning a person might look outside and determine that today is not the best day to get his work done because of the risk that is involved.

But look at verse 5, what does it say?

“Just as you don’t know the path of the wind, or how bones develop in the womb of a pregnant woman, so also you don’t know the work of God who makes everything”

You Do Not Know What God Is Going to Do.

Who is it that causes crops to grow?

God.

Who is it that causes us to succeed?

God.

We Do not know what God is up to… and that is ok.

We are to rest in our limited knowledge.

So, what are we to do? Verse 6 tells us.

6 In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hand rest, because you don’t know which will succeed, whether one or the other, or if both of them will be equally good.

I would say we are to give our all to God.

We are called to go about doing the things we are told to do and leave the results up to Him.

Yea, but this was in a farming culture, it does not really apply to us now, right?

Wrong.

Look, I am not getting up in the morning to go and plant crops… that is not my thing.

However, remember, this is about faithfulness to God.

The first point I want us to see here in this text is that.. We Are To Work Diligently Unto God.

Why?

Because In The End… God is the One who determines our results.

This is how we find satisfaction in life.

We find it by surrendering it over to God.

We work hard, as we were designed to do, we obey His word and commands, but we rest knowing that God is at work and He will take care of us.

From here, Solomon begins to take a turn and seems to talk about something completely random, and will do so until the end of our passage this morning, but it is not random… there is a point that he is wanting us to see.

First, look at verses 7-8 with me.

7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasing for the eyes to see the sun.

8 Indeed, if someone lives many years, let him rejoice in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, since they will be many.

All that comes is futile.

(Ecc.

11:7-8).

The command here for us, as long as we are alive, is to rejoice in the days that we have been given!

God has been so good to us and we need to take the time out of the day to acknowledge His goodness to us and to rejoice in the day.

Now, does that mean all days will be pleasant?

NO!

These verses even acknowledge that for us.

Not only are we to rejoice…but we are commanded to remember the days of darkness.....since there will be many.

God does not promise us a pain-free life.

He does not promise us that we will go through this life without pain and suffering… the days of darkness will be many.

Once we understand this, then life begins to make sense.

God didn't lie to us.

Something is not wrong… this is how life in a broken world goes…and yet the command to rejoice still stands.

You know, I think of James’ words in the NT when he says, “2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”

God uses our dark days to shape and mold us into the image of Christ.... that is how we rejoice.

We know that it is not meaningless… even though in the moment it can feel like that.

Here is what I would say for us...

You Are To Rejoice & Remember Because, In The End, God Is Working In Your Life.

The text then takes a somewhat unexpected shift as Solomon begins to address young people directly in this passage and will continue to do so.

So, listen up young people… and those who you who still think you are young.

It does not say an age.

It is going to give some parameters, but it does not say it only applies to a certain age.

Lets look at the text together.

Look down at verses 11:9-12:7 with me.

9 Rejoice, young person, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth.

And walk in the ways of your heart and in the desire of your eyes; but know that for all of these things God will bring you to judgment.