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Ecclesiastes Session Nine 8.7.19 · HBCWestminster

• 0:00
  of the matter. The conclusion of 12 chapters of ecclesiastical goodness. Some of you will remember week 3, I talked to you about the Disneyland guy, the tadpole grandma, and sadly a beloved friend of mine who has walked away from her marriage of 20 years, is dating anybody and everybody.
• 0:36
  who is pursuing plastic surgery. I mean, really, literally textbook doing everything she can to try to find happiness. If you don't remember the other stories, I used these examples because God keeps giving me some pretty amazing examples. Or just maybe I'm aware of what's going on more because of studying the book. But there's a man who I just checked his Instagram.
• 1:04
  Yesterday, just so I can give you the new number, he has been to Disneyland 2,776 days, every single day since 2011. He lost his job, and so in order to deal with that, he started going to Disneyland. He may just go for a couple of minutes a day or go get a snack, but he goes every day, and he posts a picture of it every day. And I said...
• 1:31
  I would love to go to Disneyland every day. I do love Disneyland. But I don't see this as being a good use of my life. Right? And Danny would never let me. And then I shared with you about a friend who had called me. And she has a relative that is just struggling in life. Has always struggled in life. Doesn't have anything that makes her happy. Because she doesn't know the Lord. Right? But she has recently taken up.
• 2:01
  saving the tadpoles. And so she has saved thousands at this point. Every moment of her day and her life is about saving these tadpoles right now until that loses its luster and she'll move on to something else. And this is only one of the long line of animals, or does a tadpole count as an animal? Things that she has pursued to try to make her life satisfied.
• 2:30
  And I joke about them, but it's sad, huh? It's sad. And yet here we know we all are surrounded by lives that are going up in a vapor, right? Vapor lives going up in smoke all around us. I will tell you that studying Ecclesiastes has been a, teaching it, studying it has been a dream. And I love it. I love the book. There's so many things. And just for me personally,
• 2:58
  This summer, and I know I allude to it every time, but I feel like I have to give God, I need to testify to what God's been doing in my life through it, is that when you are permeating, when you are in the Bible, when you let it soak into every part of you, it's funny how much you start to notice around you that God is doing. Which always leads me to say, that's happening all the time. That's always happening.
• 3:26
  But I know that when I'm in here all the time, when I'm, I mean, honestly, soaking it in, that I notice what God is doing around me so much more clearly. Because, right, I'm walking in his spirit. I'm filled with his word. And so it's obvious to me what he's doing. And I think how much I'm missing when I'm not doing that. And that's, if you didn't.
• 3:49
  Pick up anything from Solomon, that's okay. What I hope for us, my goal for the women of our church is that we be women who are women of the word. And I would just encourage you that if you're not feeling close to the Lord, if you're not feeling like you can see what God is doing, then jump in his book more. On your paper, I gave you notes. And they're a little bulky tonight, but, you know, leaving, I...
• 4:18
  It felt like I needed to give you everything. So if you don't like them, it's okay. You don't have to use them. But I put a lot of the quotes on there so that you'd have them with you. And, you know, like every good teacher, we're at the end, so we need to review. So let's review. The theme of Ecclesiastes, life is empty without God. It is Solomon's experiment in trying to enjoy life without regard for God's judgment. If you need one, there are some on other tables. And then I have a couple of, well.
• 4:48
  A couple of quotes for you. Ecclesiastes asks and then answers, Is life worth living? Yes, if you are truly alive through faith in Jesus Christ, then you can be satisfied no matter what God may permit to come to your life. Here then is Ecclesiastes. It is a book for modern man trapped on the treadmill of life, blinded by humanism and materialism, trying to find answers without God.
• 5:14
  It's a painful autobiography of Solomon who for much of his life squandered God's blessing on his own personal pleasure rather than God's glory. I think Ecclesiastes is a book about being realistic and practical. And I think it's misunderstood and underutilized. Many commentaries talked about Ecclesiastes as Solomon and all of his wanderings as dead ends.
• 5:41
  So if you can picture that with me for a minute as we continue to review. Picture in your mind streets that end in nothing, but they're kind of dark and gloomy in front of you. And you can just picture Solomon wandering down each one of these, right? God gave him great wisdom, and he wanted to say, okay, I'm going to try all these things out. So we have, during the course of the summer, watched him go down the dead end of materialism.
• 6:11
  wandered down the street and realized those things don't satisfy. He's gone down the dead end of education, of pursuing knowledge, right? And it's tricky because is knowledge, is education wrong? No. Does it satisfy? That's the point, right? It comes to a dead end. At some point, it's not going to satisfy you anymore. We've watched him go down the dead end of women and sex, the dead end of hard work.
• 6:40
  Again, hard work is good, but if that is what you're using to satisfy your life, it's going to lead to a dead end. Dead end of nature. At the beginning of the book, he talks about being in nature. I think that's pretty prevalent here in Colorado, right? That it's beautiful. It is God's creation. It doesn't satisfy in and of itself. And philosophy, right? Solomon's pursual of philosophy and of men's...
• 7:11
  and all of them ended frustratingly for him in a dead end. He pursued each one, he went down each road, and each one ends in a dead end. Charles Swindoll calls Ecclesiastes the journal of a desperate journey. The preacher, Solomon, comes to the end of his days and is trying to convey to a younger, naive audience that the only road, the only avenue that provides lifelong satisfaction is a road walked with Jesus.
• 7:39
  And I'll be honest with you, this study has been a little heart-wrenching for me this summer. And I know for some other people too. Because we all have people in our lives who are walking down those streets, right? And you know, and I even shared this one, one of the times that I taught, you want to yell, no, it's a dead end, right? Jen shared some of that last week. Some of the dead ends she herself has felt. And I've been, it's been a little bit like, I keep telling you, God keeps bringing things.
• 8:09
  To the forefront. Well, he's also brought a lot of people to the forefront of my mind. Who I want to chase after and say, no, don't go down that road. Right? It's a dead end. So it's been a little heavy. And I thought that we should all pray right now. For whomever it is that God has brought to your mind. That you know is on a dead end street. Right? Tomorrow, a lot of you know, I'm going to, I'm visiting my mom and my sister. They're definitely on a dead end street.
• 8:40
  I think they believe, but it is never easy to be with them. I love them. If you ever listen to this, I love you. They'll never listen to it. But it's just a hard, hard road to walk with them or to watch them walk. So I am just going to say for a couple of minutes right where you're at, I'm going to too. We probably shouldn't say their names out loud. But just pray for the people in your life who you are witnessing walking on a dead end street. And then I'll close this. Lord God, we...
• 9:35
  Believe you. We trust you. We want to obey you. Lord, I know that my heart has been heavy. Knowing that your truth is so good and real. And watching other people not want to do it. God, not wanting to believe it. Pushing it away, Lord. I have hope, God. But I just pray that you would reach down and rescue all the people that all of these women just mentioned, Lord.
• 10:07
  that you would reach down and get in front of their dead end, Lord. Lord, I pray that you'd bring people, other people, your spirit, Lord, suffering if they need it, God, whatever it is that would make them see you, Lord. I pray that you'd help all of us to be faithful, faithful witnesses of your truth, of your love, of your goodness, Lord. Help us to do that well. Amen.
• 10:42
  Okay, chapter 12. I'm going to read it. Remember also your creator in the days of your youth. Before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, I have no pleasure in them. Before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain. In the day when the keepers of the house tremble and the strong men are bent and the grinders cease because they are few. And those who look through the windows are dimmed and the doors on the street are shut.
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  When the sound of the grinding is low and one rises up at the sound of a bird and all the daughters of song are brought low. They are afraid also of what is high and terrors in the way. The almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along and desire fails because man is going to his eternal home and the mourners go about the streets. Before the silver cord is snapped or the golden bowl is broken.
• 11:36
  Or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, says the preacher, all is vanity. Besides being wise, the preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. The preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected.
• 12:06
  Sayings, I'm sorry. They are given by one shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books, there is no end. And much steady is the weariness of the flesh. The end of the matter, all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments. For this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment with every secret thing, whether good or evil. I think chapter 12 can be split into two main sections and only has two main points. And they're simple.
• 12:37
  Simple. Verses 1 through 8 really could have been combined with last week's lesson. If I was a smarter person, I would have combined them. Because it goes so well with chapter 11 and probably was combined with chapter 11. And the main point of the first eight verses is to remember God in the days of your youth. Before your physical body starts to wear and life just becomes more tedious. Verses 9 through the end of the chapter is the ultimate conclusion to all of Solomon's wanderings and investigations.
• 13:06
  Fear God and do what he says. This is my overview, by the way. For both sections, though, there is this thread of judgment, this theme of judgment. But at the end, there will be judgment according to how we live. And judgment is such a dirty word in our culture, right? It's constantly brought up. Not only, I think, how judgy people think Christians are, right?
• 13:38
  But it's just not a word that we, I don't know, that the world would even want us to use. And it might seem a little backhanded in chapter 12 here because at the beginning of the chapter, Solomon says, remember your creator and your you. And then at the end he says, but I will judge you at the end. Right? I don't think that the Lord means to be backhanded here. I think that God is trying, is not taunting us. He's not trying to say, I'll get you in the end.
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  He's telling us to enjoy our life, but not to forget that at the end, all things will be seen. I think most people who don't know God's word and what God says do view the Heavenly Father that way, as somebody who would try to trip us up and taunt us. And I think we have to be careful to know what's true about what God means. And that's why I have those two points for you in the overview.
• 14:40
  this thread of judgment in chapter 12 why would God say make sure you enjoy yourself also I'm going to call everything to light at the end well number one because he created you so he knows what makes you happy and we've talked about this several times in this book and being in his will is the only way you will be happy and satisfied so when God says enjoy your youth of course he says because judgment will come because he knows
• 15:09
  How you should enjoy your youth. What is good for you? What brings you joy? What satisfies you? Number two, in my little points there, he created you. So therefore, he gets the final judgment. Right? He created us. He made us for his purposes and his glory. Here's a quote.
• 15:31
  Right underneath there, in light of this judgment by God, the only fulfilled life is one lived in proper recognition of God and service to Him. Any other kind of life is frustrating and pointless. Two sections tonight in chapter 12. First, remember the Creator in your youth. And second, fear God and keep His commandments. Connected by this thread of accountability by the Creator God in how we use our time under the sun. For the first one, remember the Creator.
• 16:07
  Do you find it interesting that Solomon uses the word creator here? I mean, we know this verse, so maybe we're not surprised. But if you step back and think about all the things Solomon has said throughout this book, wouldn't you have thought it would be more likely that Solomon would have said, remember your end, right? Or remember vanity. Or remember you will die, right? It seems a little fitting.
• 16:39
  Your creator. And if you will turn just a couple pages back in Ecclesiastes 3, 11, my favorite verse in the whole book, actually one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible, he also talks about the creator here. Chapter 3, verse 11, he has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
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  It's the same word that he uses in both places for God, the creator. The creator set eternity in every single heart. I can't tell you how many times that has reassured me. You know, no matter how deep down people try to bury it under piles of distraction, somewhere in there, God set eternity on their hearts. It's also important to remember in this verse that the word remember doesn't mean recall.
• 17:41
  It doesn't mean, oh yeah, God created me. It actually is remember with the intent to obey. Remember with the intent to obey. My favorite definition of it was loyalty. Loyalty, like a soldier to his country. When a soldier is in battle, he is to remember who he is fighting for. That's the same word here. It's loyalty. So think about the verse this way. Don't forget to be loyal.
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  To the one who made you, especially when you're young. That's what remember means. It's so good, huh? Don't forget to be loyal to the one who made you. In other words, enjoy your life that I gave you before your body betrays you and be loyal to me while you do it. Several people, commentators said that this is his Matthew 6, 33 verse. That this is the equivalent to, but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.
• 18:41
  But this is kind of a parallel for Solomon. Obviously, Solomon wrote first. Youth here is broad. It's a broad term. Remember also your creator in the days of your youth. So I'm not going to put you in a youth category or a non-youth category. You can decide where you fall. Okay? I don't want to be the one to do that. The second part of the first verse says, before the evil days.
• 19:08
  Do you see that in verse 12? Before the evil days. These aren't morally evil days. It's not talking about morally evil. It's talking about hard, hard days, long days, heavy days. It doesn't necessarily mean a moral evil like we would see it. So that's the verse, right? We understand it. Those of us who are older really understand it. You can tell which category I just put myself in, huh? And I think we try to impart this verse.
• 19:37
  to the younger generation without annoying them to death. Right? But this section led me down some practical roads of application for all ages. Because I don't think God wants us to forget to be loyal to him in our older age either. We understand why it can be more difficult when we're young because we haven't figured some things out. But that doesn't mean that those of us who are in the over 30 category shouldn't also be loyal to the creator.
• 20:09
  In our age. And if you will allow me, I have subtitled this, Act Your Age. Because I think it's funny. So don't be offended, it's funny, okay? To the young, and I'm going to say the under 30. That's one of the pastors said, that's probably what it means, under 30. What does this verse mean for you? The point here for the under 30 is that it's easy to neglect the Lord when you're enjoying the opportunities, enjoyments of being young.
• 20:43
  The point is, it's easy to neglect the Lord when you are enjoying the opportunities and enjoyment of being young. We know that Solomon is writing this book to a group of young students, right? He's writing them to young students. And his point is clear. Use the best years of your life wisely. Don't waste them. Enjoy them, and by enjoying them, glorify God. It's pretty simple. To the young ladies in the room, and there are some that I prayed would be here, and they're not.
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  That's okay. God knows. But this is what I would say to the young ladies. You are at a crucial time. You have to decide what is right based on what the Bible says. Because the world and the culture are screaming so loudly. It's so pervasive, so in our faces, and it's at every turn and corner trying to pull us away. The Bible will tell you the truth. It will sound opposite than the world.
• 21:47
  And that's how you know it is truth. There is no satisfaction. There is no lasting joy apart from the living the truth of this book. And that's been Solomon's sermon all along. Use the best years of your life wisely. Don't waste them. Enjoy them. And by enjoying them, glorify God. Can I talk about Jonathan Edwards for a minute? Somebody else, while they were teaching this summer, mentioned him. I couldn't remember who it was.
• 22:19
  If you don't know who he is, he was probably the greatest American theologian, the instigator of the Great Awakening, and famously the author of 70 resolutions. Do you know how old he was when he wrote those? He was 19. He was 19 years old when he wrote those resolutions. And so I've written a few for you on your paper, and this is why I gave them to you.
• 22:47
  When you're speaking in Old English, it's hard sometimes to fully understand it unless you have it in front of you. And the numbers coincide with the number resolution that it was, so I just chose a few. You know, he read them to himself. I mean, I don't know if it was daily, but he had made a habit of not only writing them, but then to remind himself of them. And if you haven't ever looked at them or feel like you would benefit, they're all over the Internet.
• 23:17
  More modern English, too, if you wanted. They're interesting to read. Number one, resolved that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory and my own good, profit and pleasure in the whole of my duration without any consideration of the time, whether now or never, so many myriads of ages hence, resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.
• 23:47
  3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull so as to neglect to keep any part of these resolutions, to repent of all I can remember when I come to myself again. 6. Resolved, to live with all my might while I do live. 22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness in the other world as I possibly can with all the power, might, vigor, and vehemence.
• 24:12
  Yay violence I am capable of or can bring myself to exert in any way that can be thought of. 40, resolved to inquire every night before I go to bed whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could with respect to eating and drinking. I included that one because it's a good reminder that he was only 19 and wrote that. 52, I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live.
• 24:38
  If they were to live their lives over again, resolved that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. 25, resolved to examine carefully and constantly what that one thing in me is which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God and to direct all my forces against it. Young ladies, live with resolve. Live with purpose.
• 25:07
  Can you imagine the beacons of light and victory and the stark contrast to the world? We would be, all of us, if we lived with such resolve. Last week, Jen read the first part of this quote by Warren Wiersbe. And when she started to read it, I was like, oh man, that's in my notes. She only read the first part. So the second part goes well with the next part of what I'm going to say. Here's the first part.
• 25:32
  It is rather a reminder for young people to enjoy the special pleasures that belong to youth and can never be experienced again in quite the same way. I'm going to say it again. It is rather a reminder for young people to enjoy the special pleasures that belong to youth and can never be experienced again in quite the same way. So that would sum up that first verse of chapter 12. And now to the people over 30. This is what Warren Wiersbe says. I'm one of those, so. Well, I'm 29, but soon.
• 26:04
  The second part of that same quote says, those of us who are older need to remember that God expects young people to act like young people. The tragedy is that too many older people are trying to act like young people. Have we forgotten that young people get to act like young people? Are we grumpy and critical of their every move, of their fun, of their music? I'm not saying that sin is permissible.
• 26:34
  But I find that many people in this older category have stopped being gracious and kind and loving toward younger generations. Are we expecting old heads on young shoulders? And this is a problem. Because it's the older generation who is supposed to be passing on the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord. But how can you pass on the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord if you won't talk to the younger generations? Or if you're scared of them?
• 27:06
  Or if you're annoyed by them. Or if you're offended by them. Listen, when I say to act your age, for the younger category, it means to not waste their youth. To the older category, I think it means to be content where you are at and allow God to use you. Me. God gave me a very tangible reminder that I was in the older category today. And this is going to get real personal. I have a spider vein on my leg. And I'm very offended by it. It's a large one.
• 27:44
  to me after the birth of one of my children. Now, if you don't know what a spider vein is, congratulations, and you are definitely in the younger category. Today, I had shorts on, and I thought, oh, you can see that dumb spider vein, and I was immediately confronted with, you lived a good life. I don't know what this has to do exactly. I just wanted to relate that I'm in the older category, me and my puppy spider vein. I'll show it to you later if you want.
• 28:27
  What I've experienced in this second group of age are two things. Two, a dichotomy of people who are 30 and older who live maybe two different ways. One side are people who are bitter about getting older, so they avoid being around people their age. Or people who are older who have decided, it's over for me. I'm not even going to try anymore. It's either like it's death.
• 29:02
  Or denial. Do you remember several months ago, there was a story of a Dutch man who was 69 years old, but identified as a 49-year-old. This is a real story. He was 69, but since we can all identify however we want now, he decided he was 49, and he sued his country. He was suing his country because he wanted to be legally changed to a 49-year-old.
• 29:35
  Talk about denial, right? Listen, I'm not saying that you shouldn't be young at heart, right? When I say act your age, I'm not saying don't have fun and be filled with joy. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Rather to embrace your age, your spider veins, and to be content with it. It makes me think about that saying, growing old gracefully. What does that mean? I've been thinking about that a lot. And I will tell you, there are some ladies in here who are doing that well.
• 30:12
  But I don't think growing old gracefully means you look good. I don't think that's what that means. I think growing old gracefully means that you're putting yourselves in a place where God can still use you, remembering that your value isn't in being young. Being young isn't what gives you value. Being healthy isn't what gives you value. Being God is what gives you value. And to those of us in the older 30 category, I thought I would encourage us.
• 30:45
  With Titus 2, you know it well. I think we need to be reminded of it often. Titus 2, 3 through 5. Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good and so train the young women to love their husbands and children. They are to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands that the word of God might not be reviled.
• 31:18
  And when I taught chapter 7 of Ecclesiastes, will you just turn back there? Chapter 7 of Ecclesiastes, you'll remember verse 10. Say not, why were the former days better than these? For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. So for those of us who are in the older category, be encouraged that God wants to still use you. But you have to be approachable, right?
• 31:52
  For the young people to want to hear what you have to say. You have to be kind. You have to smile. Don't be grumpy about your spider wings. You also have to not get caught up in thinking about how good it was to be young. Right? It was good. And that's okay to acknowledge and say. And then be all in where you're at. I put it on here because I thought it was so simple and easy and kind of funny. But good. Charles Swindoll has three points.
• 32:24
  About this. In this book that I told you about. Living on the ragged edge. Which I highly recommend. Here are his three helpful hints. As we get older. Number one. I must face the fact that I'm not getting younger. Check. Number two. God has designed me to be empty without him. Number three. Now is the time to prepare for eternity. That's so good. Simple. But good. If you're in need.
• 32:54
  Of more encouragement in this area, I suggest you read Philippians 4, 11-13. It's my favorite chapter in the Bible. Philippians 4, 11-13. And 1 Corinthians 15, 55-58. Enjoy growing old gracefully. Allow the younger generation to be attracted to the story God wrote through you by being filled with joy and contentment. I'm going to say it one more time. Enjoy growing old gracefully.
• 33:24
  Allow the younger generation to be attracted to the story God wrote through you by being filled with joy and contentment. God still wants you to enjoy your days under the sun. Do it by being satisfied in serving him. The big picture for all of us is to act our age. To be purposeful with the present. Resolve to live in full enjoyment of the life God has given. Remembering that right now counts forever.
• 33:55
  Verses 3 through 7 and the rest of Ecclesiastes is not just God's humor for us because it is a picture of a house falling apart. Literally, that's what it means. The rest of the chapter, it's like God says, I know. I know you have spider man. Right? It reminded me, I worked at a Hallmark when I was in high school. It reminded me of her. You know Maxine? Do you know Maxine from?
• 34:29
  Hallmark. Okay, well, every time I read through the rest of chapter 12, those verses, Maxine came to mind. She's not always appropriate. She's funny. She's embraced her age. On your note, I wrote, there's a lot of different interpretations of what all these things in chapter 12. If you just look at them, I just don't think you're going to hurt for understanding here, especially those of us who are on the other side.
• 35:02
  So on your notes, I gave you a few interpretations. Verse 2 says, keepers of the house. Those are your arms and your hands that might start to tremble. Verse 3, strong men. It refers to strong men. Those would be a picture of your legs, your knees, maybe your shoulders weakening, maybe walking bent over. Verse 3 is my favorite. It talks about your grinders. Not hard-pressed to know what that means, right? Start losing those grinders. Verse 3, the windows.
• 35:33
  Talking about your vision. Your vision is starting to go. Some of us are like, eh. Verse 4, doors, that could be your hearing, starting to fail. Verse 4, rise up, means some people think maybe, this one was comical to me too, waking up earlier and wishing you could sleep better. Now, I'm not trying to take God's word lightheartedly, but I also think you can take solace in the fact that God gets it. Right? He gets it.
• 36:02
  So much so Solomon says. And it's here. And I think that should make us say, you know what? Yeah. Yeah, that's happening. But I still want to glorify God through it. So think of Maxine. Point two, verses 9 through 14. Fear God and do what he says. Fear God and do what he says. Now, some people think that someone besides Solomon ended the book. Because you can hear it. Besides being wise, the preacher also taught. Maybe it was a student.
• 36:37
  Somebody likened it to you being in a class and at the end you have to give a, you know, this is how the class went. That it could be one of his students that did this part. That it could have been like an editor type of person. Some people think it was Solomon himself. Either way, it's inspired. Look at verse 11. Wise words are like goads and nails. A goad is a sharp stick used to prod cattle.
• 37:08
  You guys probably all knew that. And we know that our world is preaching that if someone tells you something that you don't like and it offends you, that person is not your friend and has nothing good to say to you. And you can think whatever you want, right? But God's word says that wisdom is like a goat. It pricks and it prods you. The Bible tells us that we will know wisdom.
• 37:34
  And we will know the kind of wise people we want to be with when we are pricked and prodded. So what I'm trying to say is, if you are filling your surroundings with people who just tell you what you want to hear, they're not your friends. Right? Verse 12. Beware of going beyond God's wisdom. 12.12 says, My son, beware of anything beyond these, of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
• 38:09
  Here's a quote for you. Indeed, there are many books, and studying them can be a wearisome chore. But don't permit man's books to rob you of God's wisdom. Don't test God's truth by the many books written by men. Test men's books by the truth of God's word. And I have several, it's Warren Wiersbe, and I have several names written by that quote. People that are no longer walking with the Lord. Friends of mine.
• 38:40
  people that were in our youth group, and they went on a quest for knowledge and education, as many people do, and that's not bad. But you know what they started to do in a quest for an open mind? They started reading everything and not reading God's Word. I'm sure you have people in your life like that too. I'm not one of those people. I mean, I love to read, but I'm not a questioner. I am always thanking God for making me.
• 39:08
  simple-minded. I mean, really, I am. I'm so thankful because I feel bad for the people around me who are so smart and just want to know more because I feel like sometimes they struggle. And in this verse 12, they go beyond, right? Beware to go beyond God's wisdom. Check everything you let your little eyes see through the lens of God's word. I taught Sunday school with
• 39:40
  Liz this past weekend, and that was the song she chose, Be Careful, Little Eyes. It made me think about this. Be careful, little eyes, what you see. And finally, fear God. He comes to the conclusion of the whole matter. The end of all of the matter, all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments. Like I said, I'm a simple-minded person. The study of fearing God has always been interesting to me. And as I was studying it this time,
• 40:11
  I realized something. Now, when I tell you what it is, you're going to be like, duh. I realized in the song Amazing Grace, it talks about fear. I've sang that song since I was saved, probably before, but I didn't realize. I mean, I knew it said the word fear, but I hadn't contemplated what it meant. It was grace that taught my heart to fear. And in God's great provision, and as he's acknowledging his word today,
• 40:44
  a funeral, Pastor Bob talked about the man who wrote Amazing Grace. And I had also decided I was going to talk about the man who wrote Amazing Grace. And I just felt like it was the Lord going, I see you. T'was grace that taught my heart to fear. In grace my fear is relieved. What does fear in God and keeping his commandments, which is the resolution to all of Solomon's wandering, what does it mean to us?
• 41:14
  What does it mean that it was grace that taught my heart to fear? What do grace and fear have in common? Well, on your paper, this is about John Newton, who wrote Amazing Grace in 1779. And it's actually a pastor from, a local pastor, his name is at the bottom, who wrote this, and I liked it. Before Newton became a Christ follower, he lived a pretty wild life. At one point, he was even the captain of a slave trading ship.
• 41:44
  But one day it dawned on Newton that at some point in the future he'd have to face an awesomely holy God and account for all the times in his life that he had disobeyed God. That thought caused Newton great fear. What did Newton do with his fear? Well, this fear drove him to pursue a solution to his sin crisis. Newton went looking for a savior and somebody explained to him that if he'd surrender his life to Jesus Christ, Jesus' death on the cross would pay the penalty for his sin.
• 42:14
  and Jesus' resurrection would provide Newton with the power to live a brand new life. Newton surrendered to Christ, and he was thankful as he looked back for the fear of God's holy judgment that initially moved him in Christ's direction. "'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, so that grace my fears relieved." Fearing God leads to the blessing of salvation. People who make light of God's holiness, who don't fear God, who don't see their need for Christ, never surrender to Him. They miss out on salvation.
• 42:43
  Fearing God leads to God's blessing. Fear God and keep his commandments. Because right now counts forever. God created you for his purpose, but to enjoy all of them. And that is the ultimate accountability. And why God gets the final word. That's grace and fear to me. To sum up tonight's two points. Act your age. Enjoy your life. Don't waste it. Whether you're young or old.
• 43:17
  God has purpose for you. Number two, fear God and do what he says. How do we sum up a summer with Solomon? How do we conclude our travels through Ecclesiastes? Resolved to find satisfaction in Jesus alone. Resolved to choose joy every day. Resolved, find, treasure, guard, and use wisdom. Resolved not to live a life of regret.
• 43:50
  Do you find that the following is part of your daily playlist? I can't get no. I can't get no. I can't get no satisfaction. And I try, and I try, and I try, and I try. No, no, no. If that's a song that could be your theme song, hopefully Ecclesiastes has given you a new song.
• 44:23
  And so this song has been stuck in my head. And it seems like the great opposite to I can't get no satisfaction. If you look at your pink sheet, will you go to the back page? I'm just going to read it totally without crying. Starting on the back page where it says soul. And you two girls can come up. I'm just going to read this part. We're going to sing it. But I want you to hear these words. Soul, then know thy full salvation.
• 44:56
  Rise over sin and fear and care. Joy to find in every station. Something still to do or bear. That's tonight's lesson. Think what spirit dwells within thee. Think what father's smile are thine. Think what Jesus died to win thee. Child of heaven, canst thou repine? Haste thee on from grace and glory. Armed by faith and winged by prayer. Heaven's eternal days before thee.
• 45:24
  God's own hand shall guide thee there. Soon shall close thy earthly mission. Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days. And hope will change to glad fruition. Faith will be sight and prayer will be prayer.