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Ecclesiastes Session Seven 7.24.19 · HBCWestminster

• 0:00
  Tonight I'll be covering Chapter 10 of Ecclesiastes, and by the grace of God, you and I will leave tonight with a better understanding of danger, of folly, and the prize of wisdom. Introductions are always a challenge for me. I had drafted a different introduction prior to this one, something I left, I felt was decent, but the Holy Spirit had been urging me to introduce Chapter 10 as it relates to my own life instead, a life that I'm most familiar with.
• 0:29
  Of course. When I chose the week to teach, I worked it around a work trip I recently took, not knowing I would land on chapter 10. The times I've spent in this chapter have been long, sometimes a bit redundant, and mostly annoying. Mainly because I was able to relate more than I'd care to admit. When I finally finished a commentary on this chapter, I thought, I finally got it. I know what I'm going to be talking about. And I even texted Talia, I finally got it.
• 1:01
  But of course, Jesus, he had other plans. Then I was in another country recently, and again, I thought, wow, now I really know what I'll be covering, like for sure. And so I even wrote an entire first draft of this message on a 10-hour plane ride back home. But then, of course, Jesus interrupted. Thankfully, he let me keep most of it. But Jesus kept whispering in my mind and my heart, remember what I've done in your life.
• 1:35
  Over and over. I mean, I'm not even kidding. This is why it was annoying. And it says, remember your folly and how victorious you are today because of the cross. So I wrestled with God on revising my introduction and focus of this message. If you want to test the Spirit, try doing things your own way. Try not to do anything your own way when you ask for wisdom because you will never find rest until you receive the wisdom from the Lord.
• 2:05
  So before these chapters were assigned, I was expressing to a couple of my friends of mine how nervous I am speaking in front of people after sharing the reason why one encouraged me to share the reason with all of you. And I thought about it. And in my notes right here, it says, so maybe I will with hopes to break the ice. But if I forget, feel free to ask me later. I'm going to share it now so I don't forget.
• 2:33
  So there's a reason why I don't like speaking in front of people. When I was in elementary school, I think I was fifth grade, sixth grade. Allegra knows this one. I think Candace knows the other. And Kyra. I don't know what the event was, you know. Elementary schools have this thing where they do themes, you know, like they want you to learn the 50 states. And so they have a theme. If you want to get your lunch, you've got to know the capital of whatever. And so they had an assembly of four. I'm pretty sure it was like.
• 3:04
  like a national event kind of thing, like remembering the nations kind of thing. So I presented on one of the countries, I think. But anyways, besides the point, after I was done, I said, in Jesus' name, amen. It was joy. And I just kept convincing myself since then, I'm just like, I'm just really close to the Lord. Like I, everything's a prayer. But today I was telling Hallie and a couple of friends of mine that, you know, for 10 years, my boss,
• 3:42
  Jenny has been coaching me about speaking in front of people, and until today I still get knots in my stomach. But anyway, so there's one reason. And then another friend just encouraged me to write it out, you know, as if I was writing a normal piece of any of my writings. And hence the reason why my introduction has changed dramatically. So when I thought I knew, I didn't. And basically the theme of Chapter 10, so it's not ironic because God knew.
• 4:11
  Chapter 10 is about folly, which by definition means lack of good sense, foolishness. It's also about wisdom, but more of an emphasis on folly, and this is why it was annoying. The last section of chapter 9 prepares us for what to expect in chapter 10. The theme of chapter 10 starts in verse 11 of chapter 9, so I'm going to read.
• 4:37
  Ecclesiastes 9, 11 through 18. So we'll turn there, read, and then we'll pray. It says, Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. For man does not know his time, like fish that are taken in an evil net,
• 5:08
  And like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man ensnared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them. I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. There was a little city with a few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siege works against it. But there was found in it a poor...
• 5:38
  and wise man. And he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words were not heard. The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. So let's pray.
• 6:07
  God, I pray that you will just bless the preparation, Lord God. And whatever you don't want me to say, I pray that I would just ignore it. God, I pray that you will just open our hearts tonight to receive your truth, to receive a challenge from you, Lord God, to know when folly and foolishness, Lord God, is before us, to know when to walk away. Lord, I pray that you will allow us to just...
• 6:36
  Leave tonight with that kind of wisdom, Lord God. In your name we pray. Amen. Okay, so wisdom is better than folly. This is the short version of the message the preacher is helping us understand in chapter 10. These passages are loaded, and we won't have time to get through it all verse by verse, but the warning label is this. In case you forget, wise men stay away from folly, as Rearsby, a commentator, would also sum it up to.
• 7:02
  So before we dive into chapter 10, I do want to spend some time in the verses we just read in chapter 9. So in verse 11 through 12, it's implied that life overall is about the unpredictability of time and chance. And because of it, we need to pay close attention as we can easily be snared by many misfortunes, including death. I love how the preacher doesn't spend too much time there.
• 7:29
  After all, he's been very consistent with his message throughout our studies. So I didn't spend a lot of time going back to the weeks because I have eight pages of notes here. So I don't think we have time. So if you are wondering what we've covered in the last weeks, please read Ecclesiastes 1 through 9. But he takes it from life will feel like chance. It will go fast. You might lose it tomorrow anyway.
• 8:00
  So there's a secret to living it with meaning. And I think somewhere along the lines, we don't get to the other part. We realize that it's fast and it goes quick, but it's hard for us to grasp how quickly it is to know that, you know what, today I'm going to live for today. I'm going to do what I can today to glorify my Father in Heaven, right?
• 8:27
  King Solomon, he does a really good job at saying, okay, here's how quick it is, but here's the secret and meaning of living this life. And that's what he does in verse 13 and 18. The contrast between the great king and the poor wise man is the perfect picture of pride and humility. Verse 16 says, wisdom is better than might. It goes on about the poor man's words. They were not heard. They were despised. Yet he had it better. The poor wise man.
• 8:56
  could have done whatever he could to be heard. As the king has described the passage as shouting, you know, we can imagine the king is shouting, but he didn't. No one was listening anyway. And lastly, verse 18, this is a good one-liner to kick off chapter 10. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. There's an underlying theme about the sin of powerful rulers all throughout scripture.
• 9:24
  and in their own might have destroyed much good. The preacher never goes on to say if the poor wise man actually won, but in light of eternity we know that he did, because wisdom is better than might. This is very encouraging to me, and if you let that sink in for a moment, keeping an eternal perspective in this very broken reality we all live in is the fuel that will help us to run the race heavenward, where we will meet this poor wise man. Okay, so now I'm going to...
• 9:55
  kind of shift our thinking to this one word, passion. So it's crazy because Molly texted me yesterday and says, hey, is there a song that you want to do? And I said, sure, you can do the last song, but the first two songs are perfect for everything that the Lord has brought to the table tonight. So I just was almost to tears because God works like that. So there are a handful of root words and meanings for this word, passion, and I'll cut to the chase and say what I mean.
• 10:29
  strong emotion or desire. I've worked in the legal realm for five years now, and though I'm not a lawyer, I've learned to translate the legal jargon to what it actually means, so you're welcome. So can we be passionate about God and not be deeply rooted in his word? And can we be deeply rooted and stumble by a little folly? The answer to both these questions is fairly simple and also a dangerous reality. Yes, we can.
• 10:59
  And a little folly will prove this very thing. By now you have probably noticed the one slide I put up for this message. If you leave tonight scratching your head about anything I've said, just remember this word, little. And hopefully it will remind you of how little it takes to be snared by the enemy. So I chose this word, and then I put a red circle around it. When I went to Germany, at the very end of...
• 11:30
  Driving on the Autobahn at the very end of my trip, I realized what the number with the red circle around it meant. And so now I'm just patiently waiting for my tickets. Because I know my boss got tickets in Switzerland, and it got to her eventually six months later, so I'm just waiting. But basically, it's to warn you to slow down.
• 11:56
  I mean, in the Autobahn, you don't have a speed limit. The fastest I drove was 111 miles an hour, so I was driving for my life. But not just that, not as just only a warning, but the last presentation for the meetings that I attended was about how to present and how to keep people engaged.
• 12:23
  And I'm like, oh, yeah, this is what I wanted to do. Like, this was, like, my dream job, and he's doing it. And he's never going to quit because he's having too much fun, you know? But anyways, he basically told everybody who has, you know, delivered their presentations that week that they did their presentations wrong. Basically, that's what I got. That's what everybody got. They were like, wow, why didn't you give that to us, you know, two weeks ago before we presented? But the point of this one-word slide is to keep you guys.
• 12:51
  kind of focus on the idea, you know? And the idea is for this, for tonight, is that that's how little, I mean, that word little, that's all it takes for somebody to stumble. That's all it takes for you to cause someone to stumble. It's all it takes for you to be imprisoned by something, right? So that's going to be there all night. Hopefully it's not annoying to you. Kind of cute, I think.
• 13:24
  So we're going to go on. So without being deeply rooted, our passion can be used by the enemy to cover up a very shallow spiritual condition and lifestyle. A little folly, even for a wise man, is enough to make him stumble and fall. And it only takes a little. Whether this passion comes from skill, knowledge, or interest, if it doesn't penetrate the heart towards God and a humble spirit, the excuses we make...
• 13:48
  To fight for our earthly passions will always, always contaminate the only passion God wants for us. And that's the pure and holy passion that we just sang about. It is no surprise that King Solomon was writing to the youth. He knew when his foolish days began. His own battle of flesh and spirit. This, of course, is so true for adults. And we know from our previous chapters and even on our journey through the book of Proverbs and big church, wisdom is not conditional to old age.
• 14:21
  But can too much passion hurt us? I suppose it would depend on a number of things. I've held a number of retail jobs before landing my office job, and since then I have learned to differentiate a foolish man's passion from a wise man's passion. And I don't always get it right every time. In any professional setting, the word passion has been tainted, describing those who are hasty with their words and their actions anytime someone was terminated.
• 14:49
  A phrase used often to describe the termed employee was, he was too passionate about fill in the blank. They were quick to make decisions and often fail, and in most cases, resulting in losing their job. I think we can fall into the same scenario in our spiritual lives, being passionate about the least important thing over the most important thing. Only when we are foolish and fail, God doesn't terminate our relationship with him.
• 15:20
  In fact, he loved us so much, he sent his own son to be terminated on our behalf so that anytime foolish ways get the best of us, we know who is waiting at the end to pick us up. It's a heart matter, isn't it? What we store up in our hearts, the mouth will eventually speak. And in this situation of being terminated, if we store up frustration, then frustration will flow from our lips. And so it is also true for the latter.
• 15:49
  Verse 1 of chapter 10 says this, what dead flies are to perfume, folly is to the reputation of the wise man. In response to verse 1, Wiersbe, the commentator, writes that the conclusion is logical. Wise people stay away from folly. So the question we are faced with now, tonight, is how? So I've titled this message, Stay Away from Folly. Simple as that. I wasn't going to try to make it all fancy, you know. It's exactly what it is.
• 16:19
  So I've summed up this chapter focusing on three things, so please feel free to write them down if you would like. Point number one is the heart of man. So in my notes I put my heart. Point number two, the foundation of man, or my foundation. And point number three, the lifestyle of man, or my lifestyle. So let's turn to Ecclesiastes 10 and we'll read starting from verse 1.
• 16:47
  Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left. Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool. If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest. There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were an
• 17:16
  as it were, an error proceeding from the ruler. Folly is set in many high places and the rich sit in a low place. I've seen slaves on horses and princes walking on the ground like slaves. He who digs up a pit will fall into it and a serpent will bite him with bricks through a wall. He who queries stones is hurt by them and he who splits logs is endangered by them. If the iron is blunt and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use
• 17:46
  More strength. But wisdom helps one to succeed. If a serpent bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage to the charmer. The words of a wise man's mouth win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is evil madness. A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what it is to be, and who can tell him?
• 18:15
  What will be after him? The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city. Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes feast in the morning. Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength and not drunkenness. Through sloth the roof sinks in, and through indolescence the house leaks.
• 18:45
  Bread is made for laughter and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything. Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter. I forgot how long this chapter was. But point number one, the heart of man. Verses one through four paints a lovely picture of the stench growing stronger the more we try to cover up our foolishness.
• 19:14
  It actually overpowers the actual lovely scent of wisdom. I can appreciate the translation of verse 2, and I won't tell you which translation in case it's your favorite one. I don't want to offend anybody. But basically, verse 2 of this translation I love. A wise person's good sense protects him, but a fool's lack of sense leaves him vulnerable. And I'd hate to put it this way, but I would consider this particular translation of this verse as Ecclesiastes for dummies. Because let's read it again.
• 19:43
  A wise person's good sense protects him. Easy to understand, right? But a fool's lack of sense leaves him vulnerable, meaning they'd be up to do anything without thinking about it, right? So Jonathan Edwards, one of America's greatest theologians, once wrote that the kind of religion God requires and will accept does not consist in weak, dull, lifeless woodings, those weak inclinations that lack convictions.
• 20:12
  that raise us but a little above indifference. He references Deuteronomy 10-12, so if you guys want to read that on your own, please feel free, and goes on to say, the fervent, vigorous engagement of the heart is the fruit of a real circumcision of the heart that alone has the promise of life. And then he ends this thought with Deuteronomy 36, which talks about the circumcision of the heart.
• 20:36
  William Barak writes, The wise person possesses a mind attuned to the eternity that God has placed within it, it being the heart. Referring to chapter 3, verse 1, he has put eternity in his heart. When I was 17 years old, I was visiting a boyfriend, who is no longer my boyfriend, at the time, in Northern California. And during that trip, I couldn't stop holding his hand. Crazy, you know, 17.
• 21:05
  My new friend Lonnie at the time had to pull me aside without providing reason for her request. She simply asked if I not hold hands with my boyfriend in front of her kids. Believe me, I was offended. And my note offended is in big words because I was really offended. Who knew that 17 years later our world, including myself, is still getting offended. But I played it cool and I said sure. But I held on to that offense for quite some time. I kept convincing myself that she didn't know what she was talking about.
• 21:33
  that I wasn't doing anything wrong, that holding hands was nothing. This was the beginning of the pursuit to be who she is in my life today, spiritual mentor and one of my dearest friends. One summer, a few years later, after yet another heartbreak, Lonnie picked up the phone and walked me through God's faithfulness in my life. She prayed and comforted me with words of encouragement and said, I've been there. I'm so sorry, but know that God is pruning your heart and he has a plan. And that was like the first time I've ever heard
• 22:04
  That word pruning in that context, you know, like pruning my heart, they prune grapes for wine, you know. I probably said that to her being smart, but the pruning of my young heart then continued to be a common theme in my life. Since then, I've learned that there is no innocence in simply holding hands apart from the will of God. It was holding hands for me. It might be something else for you. I would consider this a little folly.
• 22:33
  That could lead to big folly. 17 years later, after being divorced and having a young daughter of my own, I realized the importance of two things regarding my heart. That little folly can destroy it. And accepting correction produces wisdom in it. If I choose to ignore these two things, then I would be the man perfectly described in verse 3. And we'll read that. Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense. And he says to everyone that he is a fool.
• 23:11
  It might as well, right? It might as well say that I'm a fool. I'm going to go and choose these things. I'm a fool, I'm a fool, I'm a fool. This is what he does. So we continue on verse 4. If the anger of the ruler arises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest. So though this verse is a reference to kings, allow it to level with you. If we can remain calm in small offenses, like Lonnie has dealt with my small offense, it will surely prepare us for when we are dealt with big offenses.
• 23:41
  In that moment, God gave her the wisdom to prevent my small act of foolishness to give birth to destructive consequences. So yesterday I watched The Lion King with my daughter. And this line, I mean, the guy next to me was probably like, oh my God, I put your phone away. But there was a reason why I went to go see The Lion King yesterday. And I just kept taking notes. I'm like, no, Foster, you're so wise.
• 24:11
  A line from a faucet. He was teaching his son a lesson from his little folly. And it reminded me of this message. And he says, when we disobey, we put ourselves and others in danger. And if you watch The Lion King, you know that Simba's little folly was influenced with a greater one, his uncle's, which eventually led to the death of his own father. Thankfully, the story doesn't end there, and neither does ours, right? So if I'm not careful, my foolish past,
• 24:43
  will rewrite my future. I've dabbled in things in my life that people have become slaves to. To gain wisdom from my own foolishness, I must be intentional with my mind and my heart. God promises I will bear good fruit if I live to honor him. And that's what it says in Colossians 1.10. And I am actually going to read that. And it's funny because I was listening to Caleb today and that's actually the verse of the day. So you probably heard it too. So 1.10, it says this.
• 25:16
  so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. If I don't start obeying today, I will miss out on the promise God has set out for me, as also described in Jeremiah 29.11. These next few words are from a song, and they hold so much weight for me personally. And the words are, pain gives birth to the promise ahead. It is true that obedience might bring some pain.
• 25:49
  in the pruning process of our hearts. But I'm here to tell you that I wouldn't be standing here tonight had I chosen to continue to live on my foolish terms, which then leads me to point number two, the foundation of man. And this will cover verses 7 through 15, although I'm going to start with verse 8. We see a man digging a pit only to fall into it. This can be a picture of a man storing up for himself.
• 26:15
  As it relates to me personally, a young woman building up her career, making something of herself, layer by layer with education and experience, sacrificing so much, only to realize the foundation was being built on vanity and striving after the wind. You know, I stopped chasing that. And thankfully, I work for a Christian leader who values her spiritual life as much as I do.
• 26:46
  I was bragging kind of today that we are in a team that is probably one of the smartest teams in the organization. Probably not true, but it's one of those things where it's like, if there's a reason why God's keeping me here, great, you know? But vanity, striving after the win. I'm not saying that those things aren't important, but from an eternal perspective, they will eventually go away. In verse 10, it says,
• 27:13
  and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use his own strength. But wisdom helps one to succeed. I struggle with this very thing of using my own strength, that if I'm not focused on my work, then how will my daughter go to school? How will she be clothed? How will we eat? Convinced that without my job, we will suffer. We make conclusions in this way to justify our lack of devotion to studying the Word of God and prayer.
• 27:43
  Which is the only foundation that will lead us closer to the Father. So ask yourself what I should be asking myself as well every day. Am I building my foundation on the truth and wisdom of the Word of God? Or am I building a foundation on my own understanding and strength? Verse 11 through 15 are examples of a man who gets ahead of himself only to experience hardship and literally gets lost. I mean, if you guys read it, this dude actually gets lost.
• 28:12
  You know? He loses his way. He doesn't know where he's going and everything. And he keeps walking. I just kept picturing this man who was lost and he didn't even stop to think. He just kept walking and he was just aimlessly walking, you know? And so he doesn't know where he's going and everything that comes out of his mouth are foolish words. Our foundation in the word of God is vital to combat foolishness.
• 28:38
  It influences every aspect of our life and keeps our passions aligned with the heart of God. My lack in this very area has caused unwanted emotional pain in my life in very difficult circumstances. I have found that the nearer I am to the foot of the cross, my weakness and lack of wisdom is replaced with God's strength and God's wisdom, refining the passion I ought to have in Christ. So where does your foundation lie?
• 29:10
  I spent a lot of my free time with some of the young women sitting in this room. And they have become some of my very close friends. They will probably agree with you that I've never said this phrase so much in my life until now. Read your Bibles. There's nothing else I have to say. I mean, those are legit the words that I tell them. Read your Bibles. There's nothing else I have to say. Another quote I love by Jonathan Edwards says this. No word is so powerful as the Bible.
• 29:50
  No other book changes the hearts of men, and no word so awakens the conscious. So the point is this, what are we filling our minds with? And what are we storing up in our hearts? If we are filling our minds with lies, our hearts will store up lies and lead us astray. But if we are filling our minds with truth, then our hearts will be saturated in truth. Not just filled, but saturated. Paul was so kind to give us Philippians 4.8.
• 30:21
  It should be the song we sing in our head. God is also so kind to bring me Hallie Carter, whom God has used to help me print this word in my head. She too is my spiritual mentor and friend. This verse begins with whatever is true, and I'm not going to go on with everything else it has in it, but in the end it says, think about these things. What is truer than the word of God? I didn't think this was going to be so emotional. Barely. I'm almost there.
• 31:04
  So my last point will hopefully help us understand our heart condition and determine where we are building our foundation, the lifestyle of man. Verses 16 through 20. This was the part that was the hardest for me in my study. I was faced with the reality that on a day-to-day, I am mostly leaning on my own understanding and strength. It was a good self-check for me. I was encouraged when God reminded me of his faithfulness in my life.
• 31:34
  when I felt I was coming up short. And I want to encourage you tonight that God is an all-sufficient God, and he will faithfully sustain you in the lifestyle he desires for you. I say he desires because sometimes what he desires isn't always the way that we prefer, and it's not what our desires are. But it certainly is the most fulfilling. So examine for a moment your daily routine. How does it look like?
• 32:03
  How do you start and end your day and take it a bit further? What is your track record so far? These next questions will probably tap into the condition of your heart and what you're most passionate about. And if they hold any eternal value or foolishness, you'll be able to determine that. I mean, you know yourself better than anyone else. Again, what we store in our hearts, our mouth speaks, and often we act on those things as well.
• 32:34
  So ask yourself, are you a prideful person? Or are you a humble person? Are you a gossip? Or are you a peacemaker? Are you self-seeking or are you servant-minded and hearted? Are you a giver of the tangible things the Lord has blessed you with or are you storing them up for yourself? Are you deceitful or do you encourage truth? Are you lazy or are you motivated to get up and make good use of your time? Do you lack commitment?
• 33:08
  Or are you faithful? Are you condoning? Or are you ready in and out of season? Are you a coward? Or are you a defender? Are you easily distracted? Or are you focused? Do you take advantage of good health? Or do you take it for granted? Do you actually pray when you say you pray? Or do you simply think and quickly forget? Are you studying or merely skimming through the pages? Are you parenting? Or are you on your cell phone?
• 33:38
  You'll start to realize that these are questions I was asking myself. Do you seek wisdom and counsel, or do you make decisions and draw conclusions based on your own understanding? Are you a Mary, or are you a Martha? Are you seeking truth, or do you believe everything you hear? Do you forgive with your heart and not just with your words? Answering these questions truthfully will give... Actually, my note says this. Interesting. Answering these...
• 34:09
  Questions truthfully gave me a clearer picture of my own lifestyle. So Wiersbe writes this as well. Immature people enjoy the privileges and ignore responsibilities, while mature people see the responsibilities as privileges and use them to help others. This is why this chapter was mostly annoying at the beginning, because I didn't like how closely I identified with a foolish man. The next words I'm going to say doesn't really relate to me.
• 34:41
  Just kidding. It doesn't. Love of money, drunkenness, building our own kingdoms, and selfishness are all results of a little folly. That's what little folly can do. And verse 17 through 18 says this, Happy are you, O Lord, O land, when your king is the son of nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time for strength and not drunkenness. Through sloth the roof sinks in.
• 35:12
  And through indolence, the house leaks. Does your lifestyle reflect a life of nobility or sloth? Does it reflect a life of wisdom or folly? Chapter 10 ends with an instruction of how to think and how we ought to hold our tongue, for even a bird will carry it out. Proverbs 29.11 says a fool gives vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. Women like to talk.
• 35:44
  A lot. Like a lot. I have caught myself many times just aimlessly talking about things that do not encourage or empower. I truly believe that when our lifestyle reflects the lifestyle God desires for us, that we will also be speaking the language of God, a language of truth and love. The preacher's analysis of the foolish man in all of chapter 10 is his way of warning the wise man of the consequences of little folly.
• 36:15
  We are the wise men because wisdom comes from God and we belong to God. So this warning is for us. So how can we be aware of folly? First, we must examine what we are storing up in our hearts. Second, we have to build our foundation on the truth of the word of God. And third, live a lifestyle reflecting a true and holy passion. I want to conclude with this encouragement.
• 36:54
  You know, chapter 10 was a little hard because it wasn't, it didn't end like other chapters. It didn't have the, in the end, you know, God's going to love you. And, I mean, it wasn't all fluffy in all those chapters. I'm not saying that. All I'm saying is that King Solomon really prepared us for, to kind of awaken our minds. Like, okay, like, life goes fast. He's done everything under the sun. And now he's telling you that it's all really for nothing, you know. And the meat of it.
• 37:26
  is really, I feel like, in the end. And I just want to encourage you that when you go back to chapter 10, that he's warning the wise people. He's warning us. And we are God's chosen people, right? He wants, he handpicked us. And he wants us to hear him out. I almost felt a little sympathy for the foolish man. Like I wanted just to kind of stop him from his path, you know? Like, I can show you where you need to go.
• 38:00
  Like, I wanted to stop him because he was just kind of in my, I have a really good imagination, so I was reading this, like, I'm an idiot. Like, I can't believe he's just walking, you know? And just saying things out of nothing. And because chapter 10 doesn't end that way, it ends with an instruction. I do want to conclude with this encouragement that God intends for us to enjoy the life he's blessed us with and not to suffer the consequences of foolish minds and hearts.
• 38:31
  It doesn't mean that hardship won't come. I believe hardship is a way of refining. His desire is that our hearts be built on the truth and power of the word of God and prayer. That our passions be pure and holy, leaving foolishness behind and actively seeking wisdom. Please be encouraged, as I was through this whole study, that in every way, in every way, we have an eternal advantage.
• 38:59
  to live a lifestyle that glorifies God through Jesus Christ, His own Son. So I will pray. God, I thank You so much for Your Word. I thank You for the wisdom that You give us. Lord, I pray that we would be challenged tonight to allow You, the Holy Spirit, to prune our hearts, Lord God, so that we may live a life that glorifies You. A heart that desires to hear Your Word through Your...
• 39:33
  the pages of scripture, a heart that deeply cares for people, souls, Lord God. God, there is nothing better, there's no lovelier scent than your wisdom, Lord. And I just pray that you would help us to be women of the word and that you will help us to humble ourselves, Lord, before you so that we can live a lifestyle that is honoring to you. I thank you for this study and for the opportunity to...
• 40:10
  deliver this. And I just pray that you will bless it, Lord God, and that you will continue to live it out in our hearts. I thank you for this evening. In your name I pray. Amen.