“On Worship and Wealth” Ecclesiastes 5:1-20 

INTRODUCTION

Last Sunday, the Preacher commented on loneliness, and the absence of comfort, contentment, companionship, and continuity. Today, he urges us to worship God with reverence, and instead of pursuing wealth, to enjoy God’s daily gifts.

YOU AND GOD (vv. 1-7)

• Guard your steps

• Watch your words

• Keep your vows

YOU AND GOLD (vv. 10-17)

• Riches do not satisfy

• Riches produce leeches

• Riches can only buy things of limited value

• Riches can cause loss of sleep

• Riches do not guarantee security 

YOU AND GRATITUDE (vv. 18-20)

APPLICATION

• Jesus, the Mediator, bridged the distance between God and you (He 10:19-22)

• Jesus warned us against laying up treasures for ourselves (Lk 12:15-21)

CONCLUSION

Beloved, Jesus in Matthew 6:24 said, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Worship and wealth are windows into your heart. They show who your master is, and what you trust and love most in life. Is it God, or is it money?

“Lonliness”

Ecclesiastes 4:1-16

INTRODUCTION

Three weeks ago, the Preacher made the observation that God is absolutely over all of life. Today, he comments on the absence of comfort, contentment, companionship, and continuity.

NO COMFORTER (vv. 1-3)

• The oppressor

• The oppressed

• No comforter

NO CONTENTMENT (vv. 4-6)

• Envy

• Poverty

• Contentment

NO COMPANIONSHIP (vv. 7-12)

• Loneliness

• Companionship

NO CONTINUITY (vv. 13-16)

• The faithful youth

• The foolish king

• The fickle people 

APPLICATION

• You have Comforter – The Holy Spirit (John 14:16-18)

• You have a Friend – Jesus Christ (John 15:13-15)

CONCLUSION

Beloved, as a Christian you do not need to be lonely. You have the Church as your faith family. You have the Holy Spirit as your Comforter, Helper, and Advocate. You have Jesus as your Savior, Lord, and Friend.

“Exchanging Glory for Gumbo & Sonship for Pig Slop”

Associate Pastor Aaron Cavanauagh

Hebrews 12:14-17

As a runner in a race has goals to pursue and traps to avoid, God calls us to pursue certain goals and avoid certain traps. We must strive at being at peace with all people. This takes the grace of God and an enduring commitment in our soul. We must also pursue sanctification or holiness. One goal deals with our relationship with people and the other deals with our relationship to God. As God is holy or pure and set apart from sin, He calls us to be holy and set apart from sin. Are you growing in becoming like Christ? Are you growing in the disciplines of putting off sinful behavior, attitudes, speech, habits, tv shows, and even thoughts? Are you growing in bible reading, study, meditation, and memorization? Beware: to not be growing in holiness and a commitment to God’s Word points to some very serious harbingers.

There are also significant traps to avoid. We must not fall short of God’s grace. People who think they can come to God by their own good merit or their own rule-keeping (legalism), they don’t really understand the basics of Christianity or the gospel: that Christ died for sinful humans, and his forgiveness is freely offered without price and without our ability to pay God back.

We must also avoid the trap of bitterness. Like the trumpet vine that grows some 15 feet underground before raising its stone-busting, destructive shoots, bitterness is like a poisoned root that infects our own hearts but can also bring shipwreck to fellow believers all around us.

Last, the Lord warns us of the dangers of being driven by fleshly, short-sighted passions like Esau who lived by his feelings, gave in to fleshly and sexually immoral desires and exchanged a vast spiritual and financial inheritance for a comparatively worthless bowl of stew that would leave him only to hunger again within a few short hours. Think of the prodigal son who forsook his father and wasted his inheritance on the party life only to be left broke and alone, eating slop with the pigs. What choices might we be making that are led by our gut rather than the glory of God? What pleasures are we seeking or delighting in that don’t compare to the eternal, soul-satisfying pleasures that come from knowing, trusting and obeying the sovereign King of Heaven? What pleasures appeal to or feed our fleshly appetite rather than our soul?

“leap of faith” Dr. Valen Prest Matthew 14:22-36

Introduction

When God does Something New There is always ______________.

When God Does Something New There is always a _____________. 

When God Does Something New There is always ______________.

When God Does Something New There is always a _____________. 

There are two kinds of storms:

Warren Wiersby named them:

1. Storms of ____________

2. Storms of ____________

a. Where in your life are you out of your depth?

b. Where are you facing resistance from the wind?

Jesus doesn’t promise to ________ us from trouble, but He does promise to go with us _________ the trouble.

Resistance helps us to grow

When God Does Something New There is always a ____________ life. 

Conclusion

As you begin the next chapter of your life, answer these questions

1. Who is Jesus Christ to you?

2. What are you going to do about Him?

3. What is your response to who He is? You are either all in! or not in at all!

What Happened After the Miracle of Walking on Water?

Back to business as usual (whatever usual business is when you follow Jesus)

1. Everyone who touched Jesus was healed

2. None of the Disciples talked about Jesus walking on the water

a. Sometimes Jesus sends us places we wouldn’t choose to go

b. Jesus speaks courage to us in the midst of our storms of life

c. Jesus is inviting us to join him on the edge of the impossible

• What is your “if” - If God does this, I’ll do that?

• In what area of my life do I want to invite Jesus to join me?

• Jesus has a plan for you. Are you willing to take a step into the unknown?

• What step does He want you to take?

INTRODUCTION

Last Sunday, the Preacher went on a search for the true meaning of life and the purpose for living. He tried wisdom, pleasure, and possessions only to conclude that all is vanity and chasing after the wind. Therefore, he concluded that the best thing to do is to please God and enjoy His gifts in life. Today, he discovers that God is sovereign over all of life: both his earthly life and his eternal destiny. 

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE SEASONS OF LIFE  (vv. 1-8)

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY OVER TIME AND ETERNITY   (vv. 9-15)

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY OVER MAN’S ETERNAL DESTINY  (vv. 16-22)

APPLICATION

· Fear God.

· Do not fear the present time or the future.

CONCLUSION

Beloved, God sent His Son Jesus to this world at the appointed time, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5). Are you resting in your Father’s care who has set the times of your life? 

“The search for meaning” Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26

Introduction

Last Sunday, the Preacher looking at life under the sun observed that everything is vanity and vanity of vanities. That life here on earth is monotonous, fleeting, unsatisfying, and inconsequential. Today, he continues his search for the true meaning of life and the purpose for living. He tries wisdom, pleasure, possessions only to conclude that all is vanity and chasing after the wind. Therefore, the best thing to do is to please God and enjoy what He gives. 

THE VANITY OF HUMAN PROBING (1:12-18)

THE VANITY OF HUMAN PLEASURES (2:1-11)

THE VANITY OF HUMAN POSSESSIONS (2:18-26)

Application

• If you are looking for the meaning and purpose of life in education, pleasure, possessions, and wealth, you are looking in all the wrong places and it will only bring disappointment. It is a hopeless quest.

• Since all human endeavors apart from God are empty; “… seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness...” (Matthew 6:25-33). 

Conclusion

Beloved, the Preacher has searched for meaning through wisdom, pleasure, possessions, and wealth -- he could only conclude that all is vanity and chasing after the wind. God is the One who gives wisdom, knowledge and joy. The true meaning and purpose of life is found in a living relationship with Jesus. Do you know Him? 

“There is nothing new under the sun” Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

Introduction

The Book of Ecclesiastes is one of the most unusual books of the Bible. It has a spirit of hopeless despair; it seems to promote questionable conduct. The message of the book has long fascinated and puzzled commentators. Many have wondered if this book has anything of relevance to say to the Old Testament people, much less to the church today. Yet, in our highly secular, materialistic society, there is much that the message of the book can teach us. The book teaches us about life lived in the real world. Most importantly, Ecclesiastes teaches us to live life with the end in mind.

VANITY OF VANITIES! ALL IS VANITY        (vv. 1-2)

NOTHING CHANGES UNDER THE SUN      (vv. 3-11)

• Life under the sun is monotonous (v. 3)

• Life under the sun is fleeting (vv. 4-7)

• Life under the sun is unsatisfying (v. 8)

• Life under the sun is inconsequential (vv. 9-11)

Application

• In Christ your work is not in vain

• In Christ all things under the sun are being made new

 Conclusion

Beloved, there is another “Son of David”, who is King not just over Jerusalem, but over the whole universe. His name is Jesus. He came as a “Preacher” “... proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15). Have you repented and believed the good news of Jesus?

“On Living Wisely” Ecclesiastes 7:1-25 

INTRODUCTION

Last Sunday, the Preacher urged us to worship God with reverence, and instead of pursuing wealth, to enjoy God’s daily gifts with gratitude. Today, as he continues his search for the meaning of life, he comments on the wisdom of reflecting on death and how to live well in view of that.  

DYING WELL (vv. 1-6)

• A good name

• A good perspective

LIVING WELL (vv. 7-25)

• Patience

• Anger

• Nostalgia

• Trust God

• The Balanced Life

• The limitation of wisdom

APPLICATION

• Keep the end in mind

• Christ crucified is the power and wisdom of God

CONCLUSION

Beloved, God’s Word is inviting you to be a person of wisdom. To be a person of wisdom is to realize that living a good life means preparing to die a good death. James 3:13 says, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” (NIV).