Life's Contradictions, 24 March 2019
24 03 19 Filed in: Sermons | The Meaning of Life
Life’s Contradictions
Series—The Meaning of Life
Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:12
Series Big Idea: The human heart is wired to pursue meaning in life…and the meaning of life itself only truly understood through our Creator.
Big Idea: Money and stuff will never satisfy like knowing God and investing in eternal things.
Contradictions. Life is full of them…or so it seems. Thomas George, our District Superintendent, wrote last week,
“Isn't it interesting how many contradictory things we desire, e.g. Absolute freedom & safety; predictive services & privacy; same life & different outcome; public services & no taxes, home cooking restaurant, good quality cheap, quick spiritual formation.”
Some have said the Bible is full of contradictions, and while I would admit some things appear to be in conflict, the real tension is between life under the sun and life over the sun.
Today we are finishing our look at passages from the book of Ecclesiastes, likely written by King Solomon. While he ultimately concludes life over the sun—life with God—is precious, life under the sun—lived according to the world’s standards—is meaningless. Specifically, money and possessions will never truly satisfy.
We began our series referencing those famous words from Mick Jagger: I can’t get no satisfaction. There might be nothing more ultimately unsatisfying than money and possessions. People work so hard to be able to buy stuff, only to find out they need to store it, maintain it, insure it, and protect it. Our text for today begins:
If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields. (Ecclesiastes 5:8-9)
And you thought crooked politicians were something new!
Why would anyone want to oppress the poor, denying them justice and their rights? Could it be power and money?
Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. (Ecclesiastes 5:10)
Materialism is nothing new, either.
As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep. (Ecclesiastes 5:11-12)
I find these verses fascinating. Hard work can lead to good rest, but if you’ve got a lot of stuff, you might worry about it getting stolen or damaged. Have you ever been lying in bed at night wondering if you locked the front door…or the car door?
I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:
wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit. Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. (Ecclesiastes 5:13-15)
Job, in the midst of tremendous anguish, famously declared,
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” (Job 1:21)
He’s saying we can work and accumulate all kinds of stuff, but life is short, we enter the world with nothing, and we’ll take nothing physical with us into the next life.
This too is a grievous evil:
As everyone comes, so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind? All their days they eat in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger. (Ecclesiastes 5:16-17)
It all sounds so meaningless, doesn’t it?
The world says money and stuff will make you happy, but it’s always temporary. We’ve seen this before. It bears repeating, because for the rest of our lives we will be bombarded by this lie that money will satisfy.
Not only will money never satisfy, the path to acquiring money is often unsatisfying. I don’t just mean the free trip in the back of the police car if you try to rob a bank! Have you ever taken a promotion for more money, only to find the new work less fulfilling than the old? This isn’t always the case, but I’ve had friends who stepped out of their passion and calling for more money. One was a fantastic school teacher who was lured into the principal’s office by more money, only discover he was a better teacher than he was a principal.
When my dad was alive, I used to ask him about his work. He had many opportunities to move from salesman to sales manager. I couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t accept the promotion and the raise until he explained how he loved to sell. He didn’t want to sit at a desk all day, preferring to travel in the area, meeting with customers, and addressing their needs.
Not only is money never enough, the path toward getting more can be disappointing.
Investing in eternal things will be bring both temporary happiness and eternal joy.
There is one use of money which is truly satisfying: investing in eternal things. I love to give to First Alliance Church. I know first-hand every dollar is spent carefully, not only to serve you, but also to reach out to our city, to support our ten Home Missions partners, to impact lives through our Faith Missions partners, and to literally change the world through the Great Commission Fund and the international work it funds.
Obviously, I don’t give 100% of my money to First Alliance Church. I like to eat and live indoors! However, I know every time I buy food, it is for something temporal; necessary, but temporal. I’m grateful for a car, but I know it won’t run forever. Even if it did, there will come a day when I cannot drive it. I can buy the latest gadgets and gizmos, but next year they’ll be outdated and soon obsolete.
Investing in eternal things will be bring both temporary happiness and eternal joy.
The same can be said for our time, too. I realize some of you have more time than money. How do you spend it? How do you invest it? There’s nothing wrong with hobbies and recreation, but will your golf score, movie trivia knowledge, or stamp collection matter in a hundred years? Discipleship—following Jesus and equipping others to do the same—is eternal work. Souls matter…forever. The time and energy you invest in the next generation—be it the next spiritual generation and/or the next physical generation—can change the destinies of people…even generations of people.
Solomon often returns to the subject of work.
This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart. (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20)
Is work a good thing or a bad thing? It can be!
Work is a gift. We were created to work—not work ourselves to death, but when we serve God rather than the boss, we can experience satisfaction in work.
Note to young adults: don’t expect your first job out of high school or college to be your dream job! Your elders spent years getting to where they are, and it’s unlikely you’ll get there overnight. You have to pay your dues. Be faithful in small things and you’ll be given more.
There will be work in heaven. We will be given tasks, but they will not be burdensome. What kind of work would you like to do in the next life? I was thinking maybe testing ice cream flavors would be—heavenly!
We don’t have time to delve deeply into this, but work matters. Your work matters, no matter what title or position you hold. Some people think the work of a pastor is more important than that of a student, teacher, doctor, mechanic, or homemaker. Nothing could be further from the truth! We are all called by God to do something, not only for a paycheck, but also for our personal growth and development along with serving others.
Work matters.
Is work a good thing or a bad thing? It can be!
Is wealth a good thing or a bad thing? It can be!
I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil. (Ecclesiastes 6:1-2)
I know, wouldn’t it be great if God gave you wealth, possessions and honor? Not so fast!
First, what do you have? Let’s set aside health and freedom and Jesus and family and just think about our stuff. What do you have?
One of the startling things about being in Africa was working with kids that had nothing. Well, that’s not quite true. One boy had a t-shirt. That’s literally all he had in the whole world. No shoes. No socks. No pants. He had a t-shirt. Every person in this room has far more than this precious masterpiece.
I know that sounds extreme, but consider again this number: $32,400.
If your annual income is at least $32,400, you are in the wealthiest 1% in the world. That means you are wealthier than 99% of the people on this planet! See, you have possessions, but perhaps like Solomon says, you don’t enjoy them. Why not?
One thing that robs us of our joy is comparison. Why do we pay so much attention to what others have? Why do I judge people who have more than me…while looking down on those who have less?
Perhaps the opposite of comparison is contentment.
Paul—who wrote many books of the Bible—wrote,
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:12-13)
This almost sounds like marriage vows—better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. Paul’s point is contentment can only be found in knowing God, and we are so easily distracted toward other things the Bible calls idols.
Look at Paul’s words to Timothy:
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 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. (1 Timothy 6:6-10)
Money is not the root of all evil, but the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. It often becomes an idol, a god, something we value above all else. And it will never truly satisfy. Do your possessions possess you?
A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man—even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place? (Ecclesiastes 6:3-6)
Every good and perfect gift is from above…from over the sun…from God. Wealth and possessions can be a gift from God to be enjoyed and shared, though tragically many simply want more and hoard.
Work can be a gift from God to bring contentment and meaning, though tragically many simply grumble and complain or abuse their bodies and relationships trying to climb to the top.
Next, Solomon dispenses several more declarations of the meaninglessness of life under the sun, life without God, life without an eternal perspective.
Everyone’s toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied. What advantage have the wise over fools? What do the poor gain by knowing how to conduct themselves before others? Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. (Ecclesiastes 6:7-9)
Have you ever noticed no matter how much you eat or drink, you eventually become hungry and thirsty?
Have you ever noticed no matter what shopping list is completed, another one is created days later?
It’s like chasing after the wind!
Whatever exists has already been named, and what humanity is has been known; no one can contend with someone who is stronger. The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone? (Ecclesiastes 6:10-11)
For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone? (Ecclesiastes 6:12)
Even if we are content and satisfied and accomplish great things for humanity, we’ll be gone in about 80 years and forgotten soon thereafter…if we only concern ourselves with money and possessions.
So What?
If we jump to the end of this somewhat depressing book, we see a hopeful conclusion about life over the sun:
Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
Fear God and keep his commandments.
We were made by God, for God, and for God’s glory. We are God’s masterpieces, created for His glory (Ephesians 2:10). No masterpiece exists for the sake of the masterpiece, but rather the creator and/or owner. If I paint or buy a painting, I hang it where I want it. It’s mine.
Although God gives us free will—the ability to make choices—His plan is for us to submit to His will, His desires. That can sound scary and sinister, but no good, loving Father would choose anything but the best for His child. Your human father may have been foolish—and even abusive—but our Heavenly Father is perfect. He loves you and me. He wants the very best for us. He can be trusted.
There’s a huge difference between life under the sun—without God—and life over the sun—with God. Comparing the two reveals huge contradictions. It’s almost as if the opposite of following God is following the world!
The bottom line of this entire book—and really the entire Bible—is it’s all about Jesus. Only a relationship with God will truly satisfy. This doesn’t mean money and stuff won’t make us happy for a while—or that following Jesus is always rainbows and lollipops—but true peace, true purpose, true joy, true contentment, true meaning can only be found over then sun, counting our blessings, and loving God and others as we love ourselves.
In the words of C.T. Studd,
Only one life 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
Series—The Meaning of Life
Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:12
Series Big Idea: The human heart is wired to pursue meaning in life…and the meaning of life itself only truly understood through our Creator.
Big Idea: Money and stuff will never satisfy like knowing God and investing in eternal things.
Contradictions. Life is full of them…or so it seems. Thomas George, our District Superintendent, wrote last week,
“Isn't it interesting how many contradictory things we desire, e.g. Absolute freedom & safety; predictive services & privacy; same life & different outcome; public services & no taxes, home cooking restaurant, good quality cheap, quick spiritual formation.”
Some have said the Bible is full of contradictions, and while I would admit some things appear to be in conflict, the real tension is between life under the sun and life over the sun.
Today we are finishing our look at passages from the book of Ecclesiastes, likely written by King Solomon. While he ultimately concludes life over the sun—life with God—is precious, life under the sun—lived according to the world’s standards—is meaningless. Specifically, money and possessions will never truly satisfy.
We began our series referencing those famous words from Mick Jagger: I can’t get no satisfaction. There might be nothing more ultimately unsatisfying than money and possessions. People work so hard to be able to buy stuff, only to find out they need to store it, maintain it, insure it, and protect it. Our text for today begins:
If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields. (Ecclesiastes 5:8-9)
And you thought crooked politicians were something new!
Why would anyone want to oppress the poor, denying them justice and their rights? Could it be power and money?
Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. (Ecclesiastes 5:10)
Materialism is nothing new, either.
As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep. (Ecclesiastes 5:11-12)
I find these verses fascinating. Hard work can lead to good rest, but if you’ve got a lot of stuff, you might worry about it getting stolen or damaged. Have you ever been lying in bed at night wondering if you locked the front door…or the car door?
I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:
wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit. Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. (Ecclesiastes 5:13-15)
Job, in the midst of tremendous anguish, famously declared,
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” (Job 1:21)
He’s saying we can work and accumulate all kinds of stuff, but life is short, we enter the world with nothing, and we’ll take nothing physical with us into the next life.
This too is a grievous evil:
As everyone comes, so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind? All their days they eat in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger. (Ecclesiastes 5:16-17)
It all sounds so meaningless, doesn’t it?
The world says money and stuff will make you happy, but it’s always temporary. We’ve seen this before. It bears repeating, because for the rest of our lives we will be bombarded by this lie that money will satisfy.
Not only will money never satisfy, the path to acquiring money is often unsatisfying. I don’t just mean the free trip in the back of the police car if you try to rob a bank! Have you ever taken a promotion for more money, only to find the new work less fulfilling than the old? This isn’t always the case, but I’ve had friends who stepped out of their passion and calling for more money. One was a fantastic school teacher who was lured into the principal’s office by more money, only discover he was a better teacher than he was a principal.
When my dad was alive, I used to ask him about his work. He had many opportunities to move from salesman to sales manager. I couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t accept the promotion and the raise until he explained how he loved to sell. He didn’t want to sit at a desk all day, preferring to travel in the area, meeting with customers, and addressing their needs.
Not only is money never enough, the path toward getting more can be disappointing.
Investing in eternal things will be bring both temporary happiness and eternal joy.
There is one use of money which is truly satisfying: investing in eternal things. I love to give to First Alliance Church. I know first-hand every dollar is spent carefully, not only to serve you, but also to reach out to our city, to support our ten Home Missions partners, to impact lives through our Faith Missions partners, and to literally change the world through the Great Commission Fund and the international work it funds.
Obviously, I don’t give 100% of my money to First Alliance Church. I like to eat and live indoors! However, I know every time I buy food, it is for something temporal; necessary, but temporal. I’m grateful for a car, but I know it won’t run forever. Even if it did, there will come a day when I cannot drive it. I can buy the latest gadgets and gizmos, but next year they’ll be outdated and soon obsolete.
Investing in eternal things will be bring both temporary happiness and eternal joy.
The same can be said for our time, too. I realize some of you have more time than money. How do you spend it? How do you invest it? There’s nothing wrong with hobbies and recreation, but will your golf score, movie trivia knowledge, or stamp collection matter in a hundred years? Discipleship—following Jesus and equipping others to do the same—is eternal work. Souls matter…forever. The time and energy you invest in the next generation—be it the next spiritual generation and/or the next physical generation—can change the destinies of people…even generations of people.
Solomon often returns to the subject of work.
This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart. (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20)
Is work a good thing or a bad thing? It can be!
Work is a gift. We were created to work—not work ourselves to death, but when we serve God rather than the boss, we can experience satisfaction in work.
Note to young adults: don’t expect your first job out of high school or college to be your dream job! Your elders spent years getting to where they are, and it’s unlikely you’ll get there overnight. You have to pay your dues. Be faithful in small things and you’ll be given more.
There will be work in heaven. We will be given tasks, but they will not be burdensome. What kind of work would you like to do in the next life? I was thinking maybe testing ice cream flavors would be—heavenly!
We don’t have time to delve deeply into this, but work matters. Your work matters, no matter what title or position you hold. Some people think the work of a pastor is more important than that of a student, teacher, doctor, mechanic, or homemaker. Nothing could be further from the truth! We are all called by God to do something, not only for a paycheck, but also for our personal growth and development along with serving others.
Work matters.
Is work a good thing or a bad thing? It can be!
Is wealth a good thing or a bad thing? It can be!
I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil. (Ecclesiastes 6:1-2)
I know, wouldn’t it be great if God gave you wealth, possessions and honor? Not so fast!
First, what do you have? Let’s set aside health and freedom and Jesus and family and just think about our stuff. What do you have?
One of the startling things about being in Africa was working with kids that had nothing. Well, that’s not quite true. One boy had a t-shirt. That’s literally all he had in the whole world. No shoes. No socks. No pants. He had a t-shirt. Every person in this room has far more than this precious masterpiece.
I know that sounds extreme, but consider again this number: $32,400.
If your annual income is at least $32,400, you are in the wealthiest 1% in the world. That means you are wealthier than 99% of the people on this planet! See, you have possessions, but perhaps like Solomon says, you don’t enjoy them. Why not?
One thing that robs us of our joy is comparison. Why do we pay so much attention to what others have? Why do I judge people who have more than me…while looking down on those who have less?
Perhaps the opposite of comparison is contentment.
Paul—who wrote many books of the Bible—wrote,
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:12-13)
This almost sounds like marriage vows—better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. Paul’s point is contentment can only be found in knowing God, and we are so easily distracted toward other things the Bible calls idols.
Look at Paul’s words to Timothy:
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 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. (1 Timothy 6:6-10)
Money is not the root of all evil, but the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. It often becomes an idol, a god, something we value above all else. And it will never truly satisfy. Do your possessions possess you?
A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man—even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place? (Ecclesiastes 6:3-6)
Every good and perfect gift is from above…from over the sun…from God. Wealth and possessions can be a gift from God to be enjoyed and shared, though tragically many simply want more and hoard.
Work can be a gift from God to bring contentment and meaning, though tragically many simply grumble and complain or abuse their bodies and relationships trying to climb to the top.
Next, Solomon dispenses several more declarations of the meaninglessness of life under the sun, life without God, life without an eternal perspective.
Everyone’s toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied. What advantage have the wise over fools? What do the poor gain by knowing how to conduct themselves before others? Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. (Ecclesiastes 6:7-9)
Have you ever noticed no matter how much you eat or drink, you eventually become hungry and thirsty?
Have you ever noticed no matter what shopping list is completed, another one is created days later?
It’s like chasing after the wind!
Whatever exists has already been named, and what humanity is has been known; no one can contend with someone who is stronger. The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone? (Ecclesiastes 6:10-11)
For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone? (Ecclesiastes 6:12)
Even if we are content and satisfied and accomplish great things for humanity, we’ll be gone in about 80 years and forgotten soon thereafter…if we only concern ourselves with money and possessions.
So What?
If we jump to the end of this somewhat depressing book, we see a hopeful conclusion about life over the sun:
Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
Fear God and keep his commandments.
We were made by God, for God, and for God’s glory. We are God’s masterpieces, created for His glory (Ephesians 2:10). No masterpiece exists for the sake of the masterpiece, but rather the creator and/or owner. If I paint or buy a painting, I hang it where I want it. It’s mine.
Although God gives us free will—the ability to make choices—His plan is for us to submit to His will, His desires. That can sound scary and sinister, but no good, loving Father would choose anything but the best for His child. Your human father may have been foolish—and even abusive—but our Heavenly Father is perfect. He loves you and me. He wants the very best for us. He can be trusted.
There’s a huge difference between life under the sun—without God—and life over the sun—with God. Comparing the two reveals huge contradictions. It’s almost as if the opposite of following God is following the world!
The bottom line of this entire book—and really the entire Bible—is it’s all about Jesus. Only a relationship with God will truly satisfy. This doesn’t mean money and stuff won’t make us happy for a while—or that following Jesus is always rainbows and lollipops—but true peace, true purpose, true joy, true contentment, true meaning can only be found over then sun, counting our blessings, and loving God and others as we love ourselves.
In the words of C.T. Studd,
Only one life 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.