Joy in Life

Intro

- Illustration- “life is short”

o Mark Twain- “Life is short, Break the Rules. Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably And never regret ANYTHING That makes you smile.

o “Life is short, buy the boat”

o “Life is short, so smile while you still have teeth”

- We know that life is like a vapor- it is here and then gone

o Solomon has talked a lot about life on this earth

o In fact, he hasn’t really mentioned anything about what happens after life on this earth

o But if we have a full picture of God’s Word, we know the redemption that he has offered to us through Jesus

- Last week we talked about the joy and hope that we have because of what Jesus has done for us. As followers of Jesus, we have the assurance of a better life to come

o But what about this life? Are we just trying to get through it? Grin and bear it?

o We talk about joy. We talk about hope, but is that only reserved for the life to come, once we make it through all of this?

o This morning we are going to see that despite some of these grim realities of life, God wants us to find joy here, now, in the things around us

- Because we live in a sinful and broken world, we must face the certainty of death and the reality of unexpected circumstances in this life, but because of Christ’s redeeming sacrifice for us, we can enjoy the good gifts he has given us in this life for his glory.

Life’s Final Problem (1-6)

- v1- we cannot, even with righteous deeds, compel God to bless us- this is a testament to his sovereignty

B. "Death is not an accident, it's an appointment”

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

C. We all face the same earthly destination

1. So Solomon presents this implied question, “well then what does it matter what we do?”

2. Our eternal destination is vastly different

3. For the Christian, death has been defeated

a. John 11:26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.

b. 1 Cor. 15:54b-55 “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

D. So how do we respond to this reality of death?

1. Sometimes we run from it, pretend it’s not there, but that gets harder and harder as we grow older

2. Live my best life- face it head on- living in the now before life is gone

a. V.4 while there's life, there's hope

(1) He is not saying that there is nothing after death, rather he is focusing on making the most of the opportunities that we have in this life- living for God and enjoying all he has given us

(2) This is a clear reminder to us that we only have this one life

(a) How are you using it?

(b) C.T. Studd- Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

3. Seize the day- don't wait for life to get better, make the most of what you have been given

- So Solomon turns from the reality of death and begins to focus on life, but it’s not too optimistic… yet

Enduring unexpected circumstances 11-12

A. Life is unpredictable

1. Illustration- 2020- moving to Lodi

2. Things don’t always go the way they should

3. So when we live life expecting what we feel is inevitable, there is a good chance we are going to be let down, blindsided, surprised

a. Expect the unexpected

b. The reality is that I cannot control my life- “If I just get a good education, work hard, marry the right person, build a decent retirement, my life will be successful.”

(1) “If I put all the right pieces together in the right order, I can control my destiny!”

4. Chance- not abandoning the will of God, but rather looking at the events of life through the human perspective, not God’s

B. We cannot predict what will happen in this life, but we can predict the faithfulness of our God and the certainty of his promises to us

1. James 4:13-17- Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

2. This is where we must find our rest

C. Even when we pursue wisdom, a noble pursuit, we are not guaranteed success (13-16)

1. Story of the poor wise man that rescues a city but is forgotten

2. Wisdom is often whispered while foolishness is often shouted (17)

a. We live in a world that despises true wisdom

b. Look around and those shouting to us

(1) They are the voices that get heard- but the loudest voice or the most popular opinion is not always the truth

(2) So as Christians we ought to pursue truth, God’s wisdom, not the noise of this world

(3) But that often means going against the grain of the culture

3. Wisdom is a powerful tool, but even its benefits can be destroyed by foolishness- it does not always triumph- (9:18-10:1)

- So we have seen that death is coming and the life that we do have left is wildly unpredictable- so where does that leave us? How do we go through this life, or for some, how do I get through this next day?

Finding Joy in This Life (7-10)

o So it seems that the “life is short, so do things that make you happy” philosophy is not completely against what we should believe as Christians- or at least not as much as many of us might think

o But before you think I am preaching a prosperity gospel, know that this is not an unfettered pursuit of overindulgence in pleasure and folly

o But rather a call to enjoy the good gifts that God has given us in this life before it is gone and in doing that, we give honor and glory to God

A. Enjoy Eating and drinking

1. Illustration- God created us to receive what we need to live through eating and drinking- trees

2. Psalm 104:14-15- You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.

3. There are many who believe we are more spiritual by denying ourselves these things, but Solomon and the whole of scripture would argue otherwise

4. Like many things, the danger lies in overindulgence in these things

a. If food controls us, whether in excess or in limitation, we are abusing a good gift that God has given to us

5. V. 8 is reference to celebration- the opposite of sackcloth and ashes for mourning

B. Enjoy Relationships (9)

1. Enjoy the marriage relationship- this is a gift from God

2. Happy marriages are not always the reality- but if we are married, this is what God has designed. The way marriage is meant to be

3. Does your marriage reflect this? What can you do?

4. Commitment is the foundation

5. Marriage is not the ultimate goal- we can experience this joy in other relationships

C. Enjoy your Work

1. How do we view our work? Love for the weekend

2. Work hard

3. Stewardship from God

4. How one works reveals a lot about them

5. Col. 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

a. 23-24 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Conclusion

- Yes, we have a life to look forward to after this life, but we only have one shot at this life God has given us

- We must find joy in the good gifts that God has given to us!

So What?

- How are you using the time that has been given to you?

- In a world filled with the unexpected, Are you resting in the certainty of our God and his predictable promises?

- Are you marked by genuine joy?